


Euphoria [Kingdom Hearts Drabbles]

by w0nderwriter



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Drabbles, F/F, F/M, M/M, Mostly Fluff, One Shot Collection, Reader-Insert, Some angst, Sorta Gender Neutral (I tried)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-09
Updated: 2020-02-01
Packaged: 2020-04-23 07:39:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 31,449
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19146511
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/w0nderwriter/pseuds/w0nderwriter
Summary: A collection of one-shots surrounding the characters of Kingdom Hearts.





	1. Feelings [Roxas]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roxas wondered what the fluttering feeling was and why he only ever experienced it around you.

**01\. Feelings** [Roxas] 

   They say it’s uncommon to be able to pinpoint the best day of your life, especially when you’ve hardly lived. You can reside upon this plane of existence for years upon years, decades upon decades, and only ever realize far down the line that the best day of your life occurred right under your unsuspecting nose. However, for Roxas, his answer was quite simple and actually required little-to-no consideration. The best day of Roxas’s life was simply the day he received his heart.

   He thought the day would never come. He thought he would live his entire, peculiar life without ever even getting _close_ to receiving one, so when his time came, Roxas was over the moon. Because after all the wars he partook in, after wondering if that empty feeling in his chest would cease to exist, after living life for so long not ever really living, after _everything_ he had been through, Roxas had achieved a heart. It wasn’t just any old heart; it was _his_ heart.

   All of his friends were incredibly patient with Roxas during this time, which he was nothing but grateful for (it took him a while to understand what _that_ feeling was). He could only imagine how frustrating (that was a feeling he knew well, even if he didn’t understand it back then) it was at times when he would grow overtly enthusiastic after feeling new emotions and being able to put names to them.

   For example, that tingly feeling in his chest he’d experience whenever his friends would say something that’d make him laugh was called amusement. Of course, Roxas had always known what funny things were, but he’d never actually apprehended _why_ some people would fall over laughing in response to jokes. Now, Roxas understood it. Maybe not all of it, but he was getting there.

   Over the course of the past few months, his friends had discovered that Roxas seemed to feel things more intensely than others. They weren’t sure if it was because his heart was so new or if it was because he just wasn’t used to what he was experiencing yet. Nonetheless, everyone had grown to become patient as he experienced the world and learned who he was. And he couldn’t even begin this new journey without you.

   You had arguably been the most supportive of Roxas when he made the transition from a Nobody to a Somebody, which was really saying something. If anything, you might’ve been more excited about it than Roxas was sometimes. Maybe it was because he had told you so much about his past that you felt that he truly deserved his own heart (as well as all of the worlds, but you would never tell him that).

   Without you, Roxas couldn’t even begin to imagine how much different this road to understanding himself would have been. Roxas didn’t _want_ to imagine that life. He didn’t want to imagine life without you, whatever that was supposed to mean.

   “But what if it stops at the top and we’re stuck there forever?”

   “Pfft, there’s no way that would happen, Olette. They test rollercoasters only a bazillion times before they let people like us on them.”

   “[Name]’s right! What you _should_ be worried about is if the rollercoasters work so well that they fly right off the track!”

   “Lea!” you scolded, hitting his arm (as if that induced any pain whatsoever). You shot a weak glare at the redhead’s direction. You looked back at Olette. “Don’t listen to him. His brain’s all polluted from the smoke of his flames.”

   Lea’s jaw dropped dramatically. “Yeah, right!” Lea weakly argued. “That’s not true! Tell her, Roxas!”

   Roxas’s ears seemed to perk up at the sound of his name. His head snapped upward from where he had been staring blankly at the ground, probably caught up in his thoughts like he always was. His bright blue eyes fell on Lea as he scrunched up his face in dismay. “Huh?” wondered Roxas. He, then, looked around at the others as they all broke out into quiet laughs. Now, Roxas was _really_ confused. “I don’t get it. What’s so funny?”

   Hayner sighed, reaching out and playfully hitting the back of Roxas’s head. This caused Roxas to reach out to hit him back, eliciting another laugh from their friends. “C’mon, man, do you _ever_ pay attention?” taunted Hayner lightheartedly.

   Shrugging his shoulders innocently, Roxas leaned back into his seat, getting comfortable once more. Ever since the worlds became connected via inter-galactic roadways accessible by the public, traveling was all the rage. Therefore, as soon as Roxas and his friends gathered enough Munny, they all bought tickets to spend the day at Disney Town to ride real rollercoasters and escape the boring lull of everyday life.

   Of course, Roxas personally didn’t think life was _that_ boring these days like Lea insisted, but who was he to turn down a trip to Disney Town with his closest friends?

   Roxas had been sandwiched between [Name] and Hayner for the past hour or so. Pence, Olette, Lea, Xion, and Isa sat all around in a collected group. The group of eight had been traveling in a full Gummi Ship, which really said something about the popularity of Disney Town as of lately _because the aircraft was enormous_. Roxas wasn’t even really sure how all eight of them managed to get seats together, but he didn’t want to push his luck.

   The flight from Twilight Town to Disney Town was about two hours long, so Roxas had been hoping to squeeze in a nap during his time aboard the ship. _Oh, how quickly his dreams had died early that morning_.

   “I’ll bet Roxas is just nervous about the rollercoasters like I am,” Olette insisted. “Y’know, because he’s a _normal_ person, unlike you sociopaths.” Roxas smiled at the idea of him being considered a normal person.

   “Whaaat?” Hayner replied. “Get real!”

   “Hey, I’m not scared!” Roxas pointed out. “What? Am I the _only_ person that didn’t appreciate having to leave my house at 6 in the freaking morning?” He let out a yawn as he spoke before glancing around at the others. “Say, have any of you guys been on a rollercoaster before?” His question had extended to everyone but Xion, who was fast asleep on Olette’s shoulder.

   Everyone grew quiet, causing [Name] to speak. “I have,” you casually replied, causing the spotlight to shine down on you. “My dad scored some Disney Town tickets through the company he works for last month. It was _really_ fun! You guys are gonna love it!”

   Roxas hummed, thinking about it. He wasn’t sure what this newfound feeling was. He didn’t like it. “I dunno, [Name],” he admitted as everyone broke off into their own conversations. “I feel…” Roxas wasn’t sure what this feeling was. “I can’t think of the word for it.”

   You smiled encouragingly at him, causing another strange sensation to blossom from the pit of his stomach. It was a fluttery sensation that made him want to smile, but it was quickly erased by the previous feeling he also didn’t know the name of. “Describe it,” you insisted. “What are your symptoms?”

   Roxas laughed at your question. It made you sound like a doctor. “Uh…” he lingered. He stared down at his hands. “Well, my hands are kinda sweaty and my heart’s racing.” He watched as your face contorted from confusion to a bright smile, causing the fluttery feeling to come back.

   “Aw, Rox,” you teased. “You’re just nervous.”

 _Nervous_. The word echoed in Roxas’s head as he thought about it. That seemed to make the most sense. This was how he would imagine nervousness would feel like, if he was being honest. The last time Roxas had felt this way was when he had received his heart for the first time and didn’t know why he was experiencing such foreign sensations out of nowhere.

   Though since then, Roxas didn’t have a reason to feel nervousness, for his life had slipped into a peaceful one since everything had settled down. Maybe that was why he had forgotten the emotion so quickly.

   “Pfft, nervous?” repeated Roxas. He waved his hand dismissively. “I’m not nervous. I’ve defeated the darkness, you know.”

   You rolled your eyes. “Just because you’re not scared of the dark anymore doesn’t mean you can’t be scared of rollercoasters,” you pointed out, nudging him in a playful manner.

   “I’m not scared!” Roxas tried to argue, but there was no point. You could very clearly hear the wavering of his voice. Maybe he was just nervous after listening to Olette talk about all kinds of rollercoaster accidents.

   You smiled at him again, amused. The fluttery feeling retired to him every time you did so. This was a normal occurrence, as it had been happening regularly ever since…. Well, ever since Roxas had received his heart. Roxas wondered what the fluttering feeling was and why he only ever experienced it around you.

   “Tell you what,” you began, “I’ll sit with you on the first ride. I’ll even let you hold my hand.”

   Roxas scoffed, shoving you lightly. Your laughter slipped out of your mouth in tune to his heart’s melody. “You’re so kind,” Roxas sarcastically told you.

   “I could always let you sit with Lea—” you started, causing Roxas’s eyes to widen. He could just imagine Lea trying to freak him out until he finally stopped being scared of the damn rides. He wished he was an adrenaline junkie like Lea, but it just wasn’t in Roxas’s nature. Snickering, you added, “That’s what I thought.”

   “You’re the worst,” Roxas grumbled, leaning back and tilting his head so that it rested on your shoulder.

   “And that’s why I’m the best,” you joked.

   Roxas chuckled at your words, falling asleep as soon as his eyes dropped shut for the remainder of the flight.

 

**[-]**

 

   You wouldn’t lie: seeing Roxas when he was somewhat grumpy was one of your favorite wonders of the world(s). Something about the pout on his lips and the sulkiness of his posture always had you giggling to yourself. How could someone so humiliatingly cute manage to act like an old man sometimes? Roxas was simply beyond your understanding.

   But that didn’t matter to you. You were too focused on your excitement that bubbled from within you as soon as you spotted the famous Disney Town entrance. Sure, you had been at Disney Town one month ago with your family, but this time, you got to come with your dearly beloved friends. It was practically a dream come true for you, which was why you had a somewhat more noticeable pep in your step than usual.

   Everyone was rumbling with matched enthusiasm other than Roxas, who couldn’t function without an unreasonable amount of sleep. Strangely enough, he was like this when he didn’t have a heart either. You wondered if Sora, his Somebody, was like that, or if they were opposites in that way. You never got to speak much to Sora before Roxas came home to Twilight Town.

   “What should we ride first?”

   “Should we grab a map?”

   “Nah, we should just wing it!”

   “Man, I’m starving! Let’s get some food first!”

   “As if! There is _no way_ I’m letting you puke on me after _one_ ride!”

   “Alright, fair enough. Hey, let’s check out that ride!”

   In the midst of your friends’ excited chattering, Hayner’s exclamation had grabbed everyone’s attention. Everyone’s gazes followed Hayner’s finger to the biggest rollercoaster they had ever seen. A mischievous smile spread across your face as you glanced back at Roxas, who had been absentmindedly looking around. He looked like a kid in a candy store—so excited to the point of feeling overwhelmed by everything. But then he caught your smile.

   “What are you smiling like that for, freak?” Roxas jokingly wondered. He clearly hadn’t been paying attention because once you pointed your thumb back at the large rollercoaster everyone had started to head toward, his eyes widened and his skin paled. “Are you insane!?”

   “Yes, yes, I am! Now, come on! You and I are sitting up front!” you enthused.

   Just before Roxas could try to argue with you, you grabbed onto his hand and pulled him in the direction your friends had run off in. Once again, the fluttery feeling swarmed his stomach as if butterflies were trapped inside of him.

   As the big group stood together and chatted about the ride and their plans for the rest of the day before their flight home, Roxas was stuck in a trance. Everyone had played it off as him still being tired (but they were all positive he’d wake up after this first ride); however, in reality, he had just been staring at you.

   It was like he was analyzing you with his eyes. He couldn’t figure it out. What was it about you that caused this fluttery sensation in his stomach to erupt every time you smiled, every time you laughed, every time you looked at him, every time your fingers brushed tips accidentally? What was it about you, someone he’s known as a good friend for years, that made him feel like this? What was this feeling to begin with?

   Roxas knew he could just _ask_ you what it was, but for some reason, the thought of it made him nervous. Yes, that’s what it was. But… why was he nervous? Roxas wasn’t scared of you, that was for sure. After all, if Roxas wanted to, he could beat you in a fight any day. So why did _you_ , of all people, suddenly make him feel a little more nervous than before?

   Roxas continued to stare at you as the group continued to move up in line. He noticed how your eyes lit up every time you thought of something to say to the group. He noticed the way your lips were always naturally curved into a smile, even when you were just thinking to yourself in silence. He noticed the rosiness of your cheeks and the twinkle of curiosity that gleamed in your eyes. He noticed the way you held yourself and how you always tried to keep your chin up, even when the guys tried to tease you. He noticed how you grew protective every time Olette started to get nervous about the rollercoasters, and he noticed how you always made sure to include the ever-so introverted Xion whenever you could. He noticed how you’d furrow your eyebrows whenever you had to think long and hard about something. He noticed the way you had to hold your stomach whenever someone got you to laugh hard enough. He also noticed how your laugh and smile made him want to laugh and smile, too, like your happiness was infectious to him. He wanted you to always be happy.

   But… _why?_

   After all, you were just [Name]. You were just _ordinary [Name]._  You were _[Name]_ —the person Roxas had always been able to trust to have his back, the person who he would always miss whenever you weren’t around (like when you were gone for a week with your family in Disney Town last month), the person who helped Roxas bullshit an entire essay the night before it was due at school, the person who took care of Roxas when he was sick with the flu and drowning in his own puke last year, the person who had been the friend no one deserved, but continued to stick around because you genuinely cared for Roxas and the others.

   So why did you make him feel… this… this _feeling?_ And what exactly _was_ this feeling? What were these… _butterflies_ in his stomach? What did it mean? Why were you the _only_ person that made him feel this way?

   Roxas was so caught up in his thoughts that he hadn’t even noticed when he had reached the front of the line with his friends. You whipped around to face Roxas, grabbed his hand, and pulled him forward closer to the front. This seemed to snap him back into reality as the fluttery feeling exploded in his stomach again.

   Everyone seemed to collectively agree that if Roxas sat up front, he’d be more likely to wake up from his sleepy state. Of course, Roxas didn’t know that since he was so caught up in his thoughts _and these weird metaphorical butterflies._

   “I’m so excited,” you gushed. “I can’t wait to see the look on your face when they take your picture.”

   Roxas’s cerulean eyes widened. “Wait, _what?”_ he queried. “They take your picture? On the ride?”

   You nodded. “Mhm!” you confirmed, bouncing on the balls of your feet. “I didn’t get to ride up front last time I went on here.” You looked back out at where the rollercoaster had already taken off. You, Roxas, and your friends were up next to climb aboard.

   Roxas raised an eyebrow, smirking at you. “You scared?” he teased.

   You glanced back at him, surprised. “Huh? No way!” you declared. “I’m only scared of—” You paused. “Actually, you don’t need to know what I’m scared of. The last thing I need is to wake up and—” You interrupted yourself again, visibly shivering at whatever thought had rolled into your mind. Roxas was intrigued.

   “Well, now you have to tell me,” Roxas insisted. You could see that he was trying to distract himself from the rollercoaster he was about to ride.

   You shook your head. “I don’t have to tell you anything,” you said.

   “But we’re friends.”

   “So?”

   “ _So_ you’re obligated to tell me this kinda stuff.”

   You rolled your eyes in a playful manner. “Do you even know how to _spell_ “obligated”?” you mused.

   Roxas mockingly placed a hand over his heart, _which was beating way faster than it should have been._  “I’m hurt,” he replied as the rollercoaster returned back to its place. The ride’s passengers slipped out of their seats, allowing Roxas and [Name] to make their way to the very front.

   You laughed. “Oh, please, Roxas,” you told him, sitting down in the process. “You love me.”

   As he sat down beside you, Roxas laughed for a moment before it dawned on him.

_Oh… Oh no._

   As he was secured into place by one of the Disney Town workers, Roxas’s eyes widened at two revelations. The first one was that Roxas was suddenly very nervous about riding this rollercoaster. He could see the path of the tracks more clearly now, meaning that he could see every loop and dip that was in store for him. He glanced over at you when he felt you grab his hand once again, intertwining your fingers with his. His heart was pounding aggressively in his chest, the butterflies locked inside his stomach fighting for freedom.

   “I’m just… holding your hand for your sake,” you very obviously lied. Roxas could see that you were nervous in a good way. He knew you liked rollercoasters, so this wasn’t _real_ fear. He knew it was just anticipation for the ride. It was nothing like what he was experiencing in that moment. Roxas just shook his head with a quiet laugh, not trusting the sound of his own voice.

   The second revelation really hit Roxas once the rollercoaster shot forward, causing screams to fill the air.

   Your voice replayed in his head. _“Oh, please, Roxas. You love me.”_

   Suddenly, everything was starting to make sense in his head, even if he was momentarily distracted by the rollercoaster he rode. Roxas felt so stupid suddenly. Of course, _this_ was the fond feeling he experienced whenever you did… anything, really. He felt like an idiot.

   Because Roxas had a crush.

 _Roxas_ had a _crush._

   And it wasn’t just any crush.

 _Roxas_ had a _crush_ on _you_.

   Suddenly, Roxas wasn’t afraid of rollercoasters anymore. He was _instead_ afraid of his own heart and how it felt so strongly toward you.

   Now, Roxas was beginning to understand why people used to tell him: "You're lucky... Feelings suck."

   Because Roxas had a crush on you, and there was no telling what you would do if you  _ever_ found out.


	2. I Think I Kinda, You Know [Roxas]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Feelings were beyond Roxas.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> by popular request from you guys (and myself, who am i kidding lol), here's another roxas drabble. it's a continuation of my first one titled "feelings" - i hope you all enjoy this one just as much as the first!

 

 **02\. I Think I Kinda, You Know** [Roxas]

 

  Roxas was trying to find the words. He had been searching for them far and wide in the depths of his heart, his soul, and his memories. He was on a mission to grasp the words that flooded his senses for months now. While Roxas couldn't quite articulate his feelings with words, he grew to somewhat understand these newfound feelings he was faced with. But the more Roxas thought about it, the more the words escaped him. It was like he was chasing something that was right in front of him, and it was starting to drive him to insanity. Roxas just couldn't figure out how to tell you that he liked you. A lot.

  To be fair, Roxas didn't actually know what "liking" someone was supposed to mean. He knew he liked Sea Salt ice cream. He knew he liked riding his skateboard and hanging out with his friends. He knew he liked fighting bad guys and saving the day with his nifty Keyblades. But  _apparently_ , that type of "like" was way different from "liking" someone. If he was told that before now, he would've called them crazy. However, now that he was sure he liked you, he was starting to understand the difference. Well, he was  _trying_ to understand the difference. Feelings were beyond Roxas. For example, how come it isn't socially acceptable to (for lack of a better word) "like-like" pizza and girls at the same level?

  Roxas wasn't sure of many things, feelings included, but if there was one thing he was confident, it was you and the way he felt about you. Was that cheesy to say? Because to Roxas, it sounded like something Axel's probably said to the last five girls he's hooked up with. Nonetheless, there was just one problem: Roxas didn't know how to tell you about his feelings without sounding like a complete idiot. Then again, maybe Roxas  _was_ an idiot, considering the first person he decided to go to about this was Xion, who happened to be with Axel at the time.

  "No way," were the first words that left Xion after Roxas told her, "you like [Name]!?" On the other hand, Axel had immediately burst out with laughter.

  Roxas's face contorted with embarrassment. He folded his arms over his chest as he physically cringed. "Shut up!" cried out Roxas while Xion smacked Axel's arm.

  "You idiot!" hissed Xion. "He's opening up to us because he wants  _advice_ , not for us to make fun of him!"

  The fiery redhead held his stomach as it began to ache with his laughter. "I know, I know, sorry," he brushed off. He tried to compose himself, but his green eyes still twinkled with amusement. "I just didn't know Roxas could  _like_ other people. I mean, the poor guy just got his heart, like, last week!"

  "It's been a year," corrected Roxas. "Anyway, what's _that_ supposed to mean? I can...  _like_ people!"

  Although he sounded confident, his face said another story. It was true: _What did Roxas know about liking someone?_ It's not like he wasn't experiencing new emotions every day and trying to figure out what they were. Was he even...  _advanced_ enough to like someone?

  Axel shook his head. "Nah, dude, you've got it all backwards. You're still new to this stuff, so I'm gonna break it down for ya." He adjusted his sitting position, resting his arms on his knees. "Emotions aren't like leveling up in a video game. There's no such thing as being "advanced enough" when it comes to this stuff. Got it memorized?" He pointed his finger to his head. "You can't control how you feel about things. That's what makes you a Somebody."

  Meanwhile, Xion narrowed her bright blue eyes at their older friend. She scrunched her eyebrows together, suspicious. "Since when do  _you_ know anything about this stuff? You can't even keep a girlfriend for more than a week," she taunted, causing Roxas to snicker.

  "Well, I'd like to see you try and do better, pixie," retorted Axel.

  "I  _can_ and I  _will_ ," the short girl insisted. "Do you even know how much time I've spent listening to Kairi rant about her crush on Sora? That boy's more clueless than Roxas! I mean, she literally shared a Paopu fruit with him, but Sora's more interested in—"

  Axel forced a fake cough. "Get to the point," he coughed. Roxas and Axel snickered when they saw Xion roll her eyes. 

  "I was getting there," insisted Xion. She shook her head and focused her attention on her friend. "My  _point_ is that you can't beat around the bush. Kairi's been in love with Sora since they were kids, but he doesn't realize it because she's too scared to just say it to his face."

  Roxas tilted his head to the side. "So you're saying I should just tell [Name]?"

  "Uh-huh," she confirmed. "But don't worry. [Name]'s, like, really nice and understanding. She's your best friend, isn't she? I'm sure she won't laugh in your face or something if she doesn't like you back."

  Roxas felt his heart drop into the pit of his stomach like it suddenly weighed thousands of pounds. Eyes widening and skin paling, a knot grew in Roxas's throat. He hadn't even realized that he was  _supposed_ to be worried about what would happen if you didn't like him back. He hadn't even  _thought_ of that. He had been so focused on how he was going to tell you all about his feelings that he hadn't stopped to ask himself if there was more that went into the process. God, why did things seem so much easier in the movies?

  But that's the thing. _You_ were easy to Roxas. You made _sense_ to Roxas. The way you felt about things, your sense of humor, your taste in fashion—everything about you clicked in Roxas's head like it was the color of the sky, the feeling of cold rain on his skin. It was just this... fork in the road that was troubling poor Roxas, and after leaving Xion and Axel that morning, he felt even worse than before. Why could Roxas save the fate of the universe, but was completely incapable of telling one of his best friends how he really, _really_ liked her? Roxas seriously needed to straighten out his priorities.

  Roxas was on a mission. Yes, that was how he had decided to treat his most pressing problem. He was going to treat his little crush on you like it was a mission, just like when he was working for Organization XIII. His mission was to figure out how to find the words to tell you his feelings for you. Of course, that was a little hard considering you had always been the person he went to when it came to his feelings, but going to you wasn't exactly an option right now.

  On the other hand, you were fairly certain of what you were feeling as of right now. Roxas was pulling away from you, and that, in turn, made you feel a mixture of every negative emotion in the book. Worry, sadness, stress all mixed together in return. You didn't know what to do. All you knew for a fact was that Roxas was beginning to distance himself from you, and you had no idea what you did wrong. You were currently hanging out with Olette, Hayner, and Pence at the usual spot and pretending that your three friends were your therapists instead of three idiot teenagers.

  The world was warm, a cool breeze sneaking by every so often as the four chatted amongst themselves. You laid on your back, your head resting on Olette's lap as your eyes stared up at the orange-hued skies. "I don't get it," you continued. A frown carved out your face. "Did Roxas tell you guys anything? Like, did I say something and it offended him?"

  A song of general "No"'s flooded their small corner of the world, causing you to groan. You couldn't pinpoint it. You felt like ever since the gang all traveled to Disney Town, Roxas had pulled away from you. It was like you couldn't even carry a conversation with him anymore before he suddenly spat out some half-assed excuse and ran away. Surely, there was something wrong. You wished you knew what you did. Maybe then you could fix things with him. After all, Roxas was one of your best friends in all of the worlds. It pained you knowing that he seemed to not be interested in your friendship anymore.

  "C'mon, [Name], I'm sure you didn't do anything wrong," Pence mentioned as he tossed a ball back and forth between him and Hayner. "Maybe it's a personal thing. Remember that time we couldn't take our English teacher seriously for weeks because she looked exactly like Paris Hilton?"

  Pinching your eyebrows together, you glanced back at Pence. "...You think Roxas is mad at me because I remind him of a random celebrity?"

  Pence shrugged, which caused Hayner to chime in with, "Maybe he's allergic to a perfume you're using and doesn't wanna tell you!"

  "Maybe you remind him of a Heartless he saw and it's giving him traumatic war flashbacks?" suggested Olette.

  "What if it's because you've had something stuck in your teeth every time you've seen him?"

  "Or maybe it's because your breath smells funny to him?"

  "What if—?"

  "You guys!" you interrupted. You sat up, shooting the three teenagers around you a death glare. "You're not helping!" Now, not only were you worried about your friendship with Roxas, but you were also feeling wildly insecure. Your face stung with a pink blanket as you fixed your hair after laying down for so long.

  Hayner, Pence, and Olette all shrugged. Of course, they were worried about you and Roxas. They just didn't know how to help. After all, no one else had been experiencing issues in their friendship with Roxas other than you. Maybe you really had done something wrong and no one wanted to tell you? The thought made you feel uneasy. You just wished Roxas would talk to you.

  "Maybe Roxas doesn't wanna talk to you anymore 'cause he's in love with ya, [Name]," teased Hayner. Of course, this caused everyone to erupt with a shout something along the lines of _Shut up, Hayner!_ The blond boy raised his hands up in defense. "What!? Am I the only one that notices this stuff?"

  You and Olette exchanged glances, rolling your eyes at the teenager. "I think you might've hit your head one too many times from that skateboard," Olette teased.

  "Are we talking about Hayner?"

  Your heart stopped beating in your chest as all attention shifted toward a new voice that had entered the conversation. _Roxas_. Your breathing became hitched in your throat as the others broke out into laughter. Your eyes were locked on the Nobody-turned-Somebody as he laughed at Hayner's reaction to Roxas's question.

  "Hey, you have more accidents than I do!"

  "Yeah, well—"

  You rose to your feet, putting the spotlight on you. You'd had enough of this... whatever _this_ was. You needed to talk to Roxas and you needed to find out what was going on between you two before you actually combusted from confusion. If he didn't want to be friends anymore, he'd have to tell you that to your face. You weren't going to read in between the lines this time. You wanted to hear it as it was, even if it'd leave you completely heartbroken.

  "Roxas, I need to talk to you."

  Hayner, Pence, and Olette each exchanged unsure glances as Roxas's smile dropped. Truth be told, he had come to the usual spot to ask his friends their thoughts on how he should confess his feelings for you. He hadn't been expecting you to be hanging out with them for some reason. Geez, was this crush making Roxas stupider or something? Either way, when his blue eyes locked on your serious face, Roxas wished someone would take his heart out of his body. In an instant, fear rushed through his body.

  You marched out of the little corridor, knowing that Roxas was hot on your tail. You usually weren't this impulsive, but this issue had been ongoing for months! _Months!_ You just wanted to talk to Roxas and settle things once and for all.

  The air was still. The breeze had fallen and the birds in the heavens grew silent. All that could be sensed was the tension between the two teenagers. You stared at Roxas, trying to read him and his body language. He was nervous about something, but then again, so were you. You folded your arms across your chest and chewed on the inside of your mouth. How were you supposed to start this conversation?

  After another minute of silence, you decided to just speak from your heart. No filter, no script. Just you and your thoughts. You inhaled deeply and said, "Look, Roxas, did I... do something to hurt you?"

  Roxas's eyes immediately widened. "What—!?"

  "Because, honestly, I've been trying to figure out what I did to you for  _months_ ," you interrupted. "I feel like... ever since we all went to DisneyTown, you've been... I don't know... different. You've been distant. And whenever I'd ask the others if they noticed it, too, they said that you weren't being distant with them at all. And it got me thinking, and I guess you don't want to be friends anymore? Is that why you've been acting so strangely? Because if that's the case, you'll just have to tell me that to my face because I'm going crazy not knowing what I did to you—"

  "[Name], are you outta your mind!?" Roxas interrupted frantically. "I don't wanna not be friends with you!"

  Your eyebrows shot upward. "O-Oh... Really?" You felt stupid now. God, here you were overthinking everything  _again._ "Well... then why have you been acting so weirdly... and why have you been so distant?"

  Roxas rubbed his arm uncomfortably. "I... It's... I don't know how to explain it to you," he admitted.

  "C'mon, Roxas, it's _me_ ," you reminded him. You hesitated. "Is it because I look like a Heartless you had to kill once and looking at me gives you war flashbacks?"

  "Huh?" Roxas tilted his head to the side. "No! No, of course not!" You sighed in relief. "It's just... I... Well..."

  "You can tell me anything, Roxas. Seriously," you promised him. You offered him a faint smile and added, "Tell me your symptoms."

  Although Roxas smiled at your choice of words, he still looked like a nervous wreck. "It's... not something I can... really explain... like that... if that makes sense?" he revealed. "It's like..." He finally looked up from the ground, catching your gaze. The warmth in your eyes gave him courage. He knew you cared about him. He knew you wanted to help him, to make things right, to ease his worries. He could trust you. Roxas sighed and continued, "Do you remember that time I had that Spanish presentation? And I spent weeks trying to memorize my speech, but I just couldn't do it?"

  Confused as to why he was talking about this, you tilted your head to the side. Still, you smiled and nodded. "Yeah. You kept asking me for help, even though I was taking French," you recalled.

  Roxas nodded. "Yeah. Exactly. But you helped me anyway because that's just the kind of person you are. You're nice. You care about your friends like they're your family. And you're really funny and you just know how to light up a room," Roxas complimented without thinking twice about it. "I've been through a lot of different worlds, but I've never met  _anyone_ like you."

  "Roxas, where is this going?" you asked him, still rather perplexed.

  Roxas hesitated. "Have you ever met someone that makes you feel... like... nervous? But in a good way! Like, you look forward to seeing them every day and you always think about them and what they're up to. But you get so nervous to talk to them because you don't wanna sound like an idiot?" Roxas continued. He paused. "Well... I... I guess you could say I met someone that makes me feel... like that. And I wanna tell her, but I don't know how."

  Funnily enough, you could feel your heart sink in your chest when Roxas said that. Disappointment struck you like a ton of bricks. So that was why he had been avoiding you? He had a crush on someone. You had always liked Roxas just a little bit more than the others, but you knew he'd never go for you. He hardly understood his own feelings, after all. But maybe he had met someone that helped him understand his feelings better than you could? Maybe Roxas was trying to tell you that he replaced you? _Oh, God, was this an actual friendship breakup?_

  "O-Oh," you stammered. "Well... that's easy. Just be honest with her. You shouldn't have to pretend to be someone you're not because you like them. You want them to like you for  _you_ , not someone else. Does that make sense? Just speak from your heart, and fate will do the rest."

  Roxas held his breath.  _Right._ "Right," Roxas replied. "You're right." Was this the part where he told you he liked you? He didn't even know how to say those words without sounding like an idiot. "Well... [Name], I think... I kinda... you know..."

  You seemed to have completely ignored what he just said, your thoughts running wild. "You know," you chimed in, "I can't believe you didn't wanna tell me you liked someone! I thought we were closer than that, Rox! You  _have_ to tell me who she is." Did you sound desperate? You _felt_ desperate. "Is she funnier than me? Because I seriously doubt it."

  Roxas rolled his eyes, scoffing lightly. "Pfft, nah. I don't even think it's possible for you to be funnier than yourself, [Name]."

  He froze.

  The words processed in your head slowly, eyes slowly widening. You stared at Roxas like he had just offered you all of the worlds at the tip of your fingers. Was... Roxas implying that _he_   _liked you?_

  "I-Well, uh," worriedly stuttered Roxas. "It's just... I..."

  "You like me."

  Your response wasn't a question. It was a statement. It was a factual statement that you were trying to wrap your head around. All this time, all of these years, you had always had this little crush on Roxas. Of course, you never acted on it because you didn't want to jeopardize your friendship. Plus, Roxas needed to understand his own feelings before he could throw himself into a legitimate relationship. But... here he was... here  _you_ were... The world felt like it stopped turning, and yet, all you could do was smile. And let out a little tear.

  Roxas's blue eyes widened, worry boiling over. "Huh!? Are you okay, [Name]!?" Roxas cried out. He approached you, grabbing your shoulders protectively. "Why are you crying?"

  You blinked twice, feeling the tears push out of your eyes. You reached up, wiping them away. "S-Sorry! I just... I..." Now, you were at a loss for words. You lightly giggled. "I'm just so relieved."

  Roxas pinched his eyebrows together. "Relieved?" he repeated.

  "I thought you hated me!" you exclaimed.

  Roxas shook his head. "I could never hate you, idiot! Didn't you hear me? I... like you. A lot. And if you don't like me, I get it. I mean, I was awful these past few months and—" You just grabbed his face and gently kissed him, hoping that would shut him up. When you pulled away, you found yourself giggling hysterically at his reaction. "O-Oh, you like me, too?"

  You smiled. "Yeah. I do, stupid," you insisted.

  Roxas couldn't stop smiling. "That's... That's cool. I'm relieved," he admitted. "So... what now?"

  You pressed your lips together. Then, you shrugged. "Ice cream?"

  Roxas thought about it for a moment. "We always get ice cream," he pointed out.

  "Just because we're... a  _thing_ now doesn't mean we have to change. Plus, I'm craving ice cream," you explained, causing Roxas to laugh. You offered your hand, intertwining your fingers. "You kinda owe me some after confusing me for the past few months."

  Roxas rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "I'm really sorry about that, you know."

  You smiled warmly at him. "I know, but I forgive you."

  With that, you and Roxas spent the rest of the day together, talking about all of the things you usually talked about. With smiles painted on your faces, Roxas knew now more than ever that he was relieved to have faced his feelings. Roxas was glad that just because you two liked each other, didn't mean that things had to change. Roxas was still Roxas, you were still you. The only difference was that you guys held hands and went on dates and all of that cheesy romantic stuff that still didn't make much sense to Roxas. He was beyond relieved, and so were you.

  He'd always feared feelings, but now that he had you by his side, Roxas knew he had nothing to worry about anymore. But between you and me, Roxas had known that little fact from the moment he met you.


	3. My Love [Kairi]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I can't stop thinking about forever with you by my side. That'd be nice, wouldn't it?

**03\. My Love** [Kairi]

 

   Life, to say the least, had been nothing but unkind to you. Though to be frank, it hadn’t been kind to _anyone_ —not in the past few years, at least. Between the seemingly endless wars, the once insurmountable loss of hearts across the worlds, countless missing friends, and a shared cloud of confusion that everyone who hadn’t been closely involved lived in, the people thought they wouldn’t see a sliver of peace for a long, long time.

   You were one of the unlucky, but lucky ones who hadn’t been closely involved in the fight between the light and dark. You were an innocent bystander, an ordinary person who lived on Destiny Islands. Truthfully, the ongoing war went on right under your nose to some extent. You were lucky because you didn’t seem to know much about what had been going on; however, you were also unlucky because you were incredibly oblivious to what the war entailed. Your life was one big oxymoron.

   You still remembered when Destiny Islands was swallowed by darkness a few years back. You had been fast asleep, so what apparently was your death went by rather quickly. Honestly, you didn’t actually remember much of what was really happening. You just remembered how your dream that evening had suddenly turned into a nightmare that you wouldn’t be able to talk about afterward without bursting into tears. When Destiny Islands was brought back to the light months later, you had woken up feeling like you death was just a bad dream.

   It was still weird to consider the fact that you had _died_ and lived to tell the tale.

   You didn’t know Sora, Riku, or Kairi very well. You’d only really ever spoken to Sora for a while, but that wasn’t exactly your choice. Sora was a chatterbox. He was a social butterfly who considered everyone his friend until proven otherwise. Really, his confidence, friendliness, and carelessness were admirable to you. Still, you were undeniably shocked when he, Riku, and Kairi returned to the islands after defeating someone by the name of Xemnas.

   Of course, by then, you had at least managed to befriend Kairi. She had been left behind once before receiving her own Keyblade. When Sora and Riku had disappeared (No one had known they were in Castle Oblivion, which was something you had no idea existed even today), you and Kairi had become friends out of sheer luck. After all, you were never very social, but you were friendly after being approached. Once you and Kairi were partnered up for a project in your English class, the rest was history.

   By the time you two became friends, you had noticed something different about Kairi that hadn’t been there before. It was like she had seen something that had traumatized her, but she’d always tell you that she wasn’t sure what it was. It was like there was a block on her memories that she couldn’t get around. Later, you’d come to discover that it was because she was trying to remember Sora while everyone else (including yourself) had strangely, temporarily forgotten him.

   But during this time, Kairi noticed something about you, too. Kairi sought something in you that she had never been able to find in other people: comfort. There was something about you that just made life seem so much simpler than it truly was. It was like you were the key to locking away all of her problems. You were the person that made her feel like everything was okay, even when she knew that it wasn’t… not entirely, at least.

   The two of you spent every single day together when Riku had gone missing and Sora was extracted from everyone’s memories. You’d have sleepovers together, you’d paint your nails together, you’d go shopping together, you’d study for tests together, you’d try all kinds of wacky foods together, you’d take your boats out to the smaller islands together, you’d try to follow Bob Ross painting tutorials together, you’d try pilates together, you’d do just about everything together.

   At some point, you weren’t just [Name] and she wasn’t just Kairi; you had become [Name] and Kairi, Kairi and [Name]. But you two didn’t mind at all. You’d be kind of a jerk to dislike being so intensely associated with your girlfriend, after all.

   That’s right—the two of you had gotten together in the end. She had asked you on a date just a week before Sora and Riku were called away by Master Yen Sid to complete their Mark of Mastery exam.

   Dating Kairi was easy, simple. You liked being able to call her your girlfriend. It almost felt _too_ perfect. You were just so lucky to have her, and she was so incredibly lucky to have you. The two of you were attached at the hip, which was the best and worst thing to happen to you.

   Because it hurt far too much when Kairi was called away to train under Merlin alongside someone by the name of Axel. Now that Sora and Riku were off doing things that Keyblade Bearers had to do (you weren’t sure what that entailed) and Kairi was off training to become a Master, too, the islands had become quiet and you were left by yourself to figure out what to do now.

   You missed Kairi. A lot. You missed Sora and Riku, too. You had gotten to know them for Kairi’s sake, and now, you were all friends. It was harder to get through to Riku, but as aforementioned, Sora treated everyone like his friend until proven otherwise. You wondered how someone so blatantly naive was the person that would defeat the darkness once and for all (or at least, that was what Riku would tell you and Kairi).

   You weren’t sure what to do with yourself once Kairi, Sora, and Riku were all gone. You had gotten so used to spending your days with them, especially Kairi. You should have known better than to befriend three Keyblade Wielders without being one yourself.

   You had been walking home from school one day when you noticed the mailman approaching your mailbox. You smiled at him once he made eye-contact with you, waving timidly. Everyone truly knew everyone in Destiny Islands.

   “Anything for me?” you wondered. Usually, the answer was no. You only ever got letters from your grandmother who lived on the other side of the islands or bills that your parents had to pay.

   However, you were pleasantly surprised by the mailman fishing through the stack in his hands and pulling out a letter addressed for you. It was attached to a postcard of some sort from a place called Traverse Town. “I’ve got a letter and a postcard for ya,” the man revealed. “I’ve never heard of Traverse Town.”

   You were quick to reply, “Oh, it’s not a postcard for a real place. It’s an advertisement for a comic. I heard about it at school.”

   The mailman nodded in understanding before handing you the other items that were for your parents. You waved him goodbye and headed into your home, your heart racing in your chest. Why did you receive a postcard from someone in Traverse Town? You didn’t know anyone outside of your own world. Yes, you had learned all about the other worlds through Kairi, but you didn’t do so without swearing to her that you’d never tell anyone about them. If you did, you’d disrupt the world order.

   Throwing the mail onto the kitchen counter, you raced to your room, dropping your backpack in the process. You finally took it upon yourself to observe the postcard that was stapled to a folded up letter. You admired the colors of the postcard, the words TRAVERSE TOWN printed in a large font. Flipping it over, there was a short message written in scratchy handwriting: _Kairi wanted to keep this to herself, but it was too sweet not to send to you. Hope you don’t mind. Axel._

   You paused. You knew Axel to an extent. All you really knew about him was that he had kidnapped Kairi before Sora and the others defeated Xemnas and Organization XIII. That being said, you hadn’t liked him very much; however, Kairi assured that he was harmless at this point. You didn’t exactly have a reason to not trust her, so you let her go without another word about it.

   But now, Axel was sending you mail? Surely, he knew that you didn’t like him all that much, right? Maybe he was just trying to make amends with you? Whatever it was, you didn’t care. All you cared about was what the attached letter entailed.

   Unfolding the pink stationery with the utmost of care, your eyes landed on the curly handwriting. The smell of Kairi’s perfume wafted into your nose, causing you to smile. The handwriting, the perfume, the pink stationery—They were all signs of Kairi. Your heart skipped a beat. You missed her.

   You read through the letter, and once you read it a first time, you read it again. You read it over and over and over again, unable to wipe the smile away from your face.

 

_Dear [Name],_

_Today, I summoned my Keyblade for the first time all by myself. I did it without Merlin’s help or anything! It was all me! At first, I was sure I had never been so excited in my life… until I remembered that wasn’t true. I think the most excited I’ve ever been was when you actually let me take you out._

_Do you know how nervous you make me? I really wish you knew. I still remember almost being too scared to ask you out. I’m glad Riku pushed me to do it. Looking back, I don’t know why I was so afraid. After all, we’ve been friends for so long. Maybe I’m just scared of screwing up one of the best things that’s ever happened to me._

_(That’s you, if you couldn’t figure it out, you big dummy)._

_It hasn’t been easy being here. Merlin’s been the greatest mentor and I think Axel’s finally warming up to me. But in the midst of all the training, I think about what I’ve left behind. I miss it all. I miss you._

_Of course, I wouldn’t trade this for anything. It’s nice being needed for once. I can’t wait for the day when Sora and Riku need my help and I can jump in like a badass superhero, you know? Is that corny? Eh, who cares. I know you don’t think so, nerd. :)_

_I wonder when we’ll get to see each other again. It’s weird. We spent 365 days together just to be separated. It just feels strange. I miss having you by my side. I think training would be easier if you were with me. But that’s okay because I didn’t ask for easy; I asked for a chance to be a hero. I guess being a hero comes with sacrifices, right? :(_

_Merlin keeps telling me that I’m getting stronger everyday. Being a Princess of Heart has some perks, after all! But can I be honest about something? It feels weird knowing that my heart isn’t entirely my own. I’m not talking about that time my heart lied within Sora’s. I just mean… in general, really._ _My heart is a possession of the light. That’s what I’m trying to say. It’s not mine, but the darkness could still use my heart for their own propaganda. It scares me to think about. But now that I’m training, I guess I don’t have to be afraid anymore. I’m a lot stronger now. I think I’m on my way to a six pack haha!_

_Besides, I don’t need to be scared when I know what I’m fighting for. I’m fighting for you (and the light, of course, but I’m trying to sound romantic)._

_Really, just the thought of you is all the motivation I need. I wish I could see your face again, just once. Seeing you in my dreams isn’t enough. I really do miss you, [Name]. But now that I’m thinking about it, I’ve realized something._

_My heart may belong to the light, but my love will always be exclusively for you._

_Here’s to hoping we’ll see each other soon, my love._

 

_Yours forevermore, Kairi_

 

_PS: I’ve been thinking about Paopu fruit a lot lately. What about you?_

_Haha, just kidding! Maybe not now, but when this is all over. I can’t stop thinking about forever with you by my side. That’d be nice, wouldn’t it?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ON GOD i love kairi so much. kairi antis are ugly - sorry i don't make the rules lmao.


	4. It's Been A Long, Long Time [Aqua]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The world simply didn't exist before Aqua.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is a fem!reader x aqua drabble because i have a huge crush on aqua, but nonetheless, i hope reading this is enjoyable! i know the ending is kinda cliche, but aqua gets no love in fics and i wanted to write something for her. ok ok anyways i hope you enjoy!
> 
> PS: i wrote this while listening to "It's Been A Long, Long Time" by Harry James, so if you're into that, you should totally listen to that while you read this. if you're a marvel fan, you might know that song already ;)

**04\. It's Been A Long, Long Time** [Aqua]

   You were starting to think that the world didn’t exist before her. Everything about the world was always so dull and boring. The sky was the sky, the grass was the grass. You breathed oxygen to survive, and life was one, big cycle that never ended. But now that you had known her, the world was suddenly so beautiful.

   Everywhere you looked, you saw her. You saw her in the open attitude of the endless sky and the easygoing nature of water. You saw her in the fierce, relentless heat of the fireplace in your home. You could smell the remnants of her perfume in the spring when all of the flowers had begun to open up, welcoming bees to their buds. You heard her melodic laughter in the windchimes that jangled outside your window every single day. The tickling sensation of blades of grass on your bare skin reminded you of all of the loving touches you shared. The bluebirds in the trees reminded you of her solely because of the color of their feathers, which was coincidentally your favorite color. You felt her kisses when tears flooded from your eyes, for she used to always kiss them away from your face to remind you that she loves you.

_Loved._

   She haunted you, in a sense. You just couldn’t force her out of your thoughts. How could you? The world simply didn’t exist before Aqua.

   You remembered the day you first met her. You couldn’t believe that someone so gracious and cordial could be such a clutz. Oh, if only you realized that she had spilled that coffee on you so that she could meet you. It was all a ruse. She had known who you were for a long time. How could she not notice someone like you? Luckily for you, Aqua found your naivety endearing. You were just so _cute_ to her. Aqua couldn’t help herself.

   “It’s nice to meet you, Aqua. I take it you like your coffee black?”

   Aqua remembered giggling like a damned schoolgirl, despite the fact that she was practically an adult. Aqua liked the way your name rolled off her tongue. It was so effortless, so easy. It was like her name was personally forged by the Gods in Olympus for you to say her name.

   Ever since then, Aqua had made it a mission to get to know you. If she couldn’t get you to take her out, she’d just have to ask you herself. She couldn’t live another day without knowing who you were, even if she originally just thought you were the most attractive person in all the worlds.

   She remembered telling Master Eraqus all about the pretty girl who’s always at the coffee shop at the same time everyday. At first, Eraqus was disappointed, not because Aqua had a crush on a girl. He couldn’t care less about Aqua’s sexual orientation. He would support her no matter what. He was merely disappointed because she was suddenly making significant improvements in her training all because she wanted to impress some pretty girl.

   “But you don’t understand, Master Eraqus! She’s gorgeous! How am I supposed to take her out if I can’t sweep her off of her feet?”

   “You know that’s a metaphor, right? You don’t actually have to sweep her off of her feet.”

   “I know that, but it’d be cute if I did, right? God, she’s so cute.”

   Meanwhile, you had told all of your friends in the study group you had been heading to about how this _insanely_ pretty girl spilled coffee all over you today. Of course, they all told you that she had done that on purpose, but you didn’t believe them. After all, you were just a normal student with a coffee addiction in your first year of college. Why would a pretty girl like Aqua purposefully spill coffee on you?

   Whatever the reason was, Aqua had certainly gotten you hooked. You looked forward to seeing her again, which you did. You saw her at the same coffee shop the next day, and the day after that, and the day after that. Soon enough, Aqua was making rather bold attempts at spending time with you outside the coffee shop.

   “Morning, Aqua! Say, don’t you have better things to do than stalk me at my favorite coffee shop?”

   “Huh? Hey, I’m not stalking you! I just like coffee!”

   “Sure thing, Angel.”

   You remembered how the nickname you used on her made her cheeks turn scarlet. “W-Well, if you’re so opposed to me going out of my way to see you everyday, I’ll just have to take you out for dinner sometime!”

   Her heart melted when you smiled at her. It seemed that you didn’t even have to think about your reply. “I’d like that.”

   As cheesy as it sounded, the rest was history. You and Aqua spent most of your time together, even when the latter was incredibly busy with training to become a Keyblade Master. Aqua didn’t care. She wanted to find a way to squeeze you into her life, and she succeeded, just like she did with everything that was thrown at her.

   You had grown to admire Aqua, even if she was the one who was supposed to be infatuated with you. You loved how open and compassionate she was. She didn’t even hesitate to introduce you to her best friends, Terra and Ventus (who had insisted that you called him Ven). They loved you, which was no surprise to Aqua. How could anyone _not_ like you? That was simply beyond Aqua.

   Your and Aqua’s love story was classic. You remembered being asked by two little girls who had been walking home from school about your relationship, to which you happily did so, even when Aqua had been nervous to. It wasn’t like Aqua was embarrassed of her love for you (Because she certainly loved chatting everyone’s ear off about you and all the things you did). It was more so the fact that she didn’t know how children would react to two girls dating; however, she was pleasantly surprised by your patience as you explained everything they wanted to know. Aqua would never forget how excited she was when she got home later that day.

   “Terra, you won’t believe it! [Name] is good with kids! Kids love her! Isn’t she amazing?”

   Terra, who had gotten used to all of Aqua’s rambles about her girlfriend, hardly batted an eye as he continued to train by himself. “Oh, yeah? Then, he’ll be a perfect babysitter for Ven.” Aqua laughed loudly at his comment, knowing that Ven would have killed him if he heard that.

   Your days together consisted of you dropping by to watch her train while you studied for school. You’d always grow fascinated by how Aqua moved like a ballerina in war, and end up quitting your studies to watch her. That’d always end up with you getting smothered in kisses.

   Speaking of kisses, you’d never get enough of them. Kissing Aqua was your favorite pastime. You loved how gentle she was, even in your more passionate moments. Your lips always seemed to move together like they were made for each other. You were more than positive that the two of you were born to find each other. From the way your fingers locked together, the way your name rolled off of your tongue, the way she could make you laugh so hard you’d fall over, the way she’d hold you like you were her last breath, the way you’d always make her blush so hard that she’d sweat, the way you unconditionally loved each other… You and Aqua were two pieces of cloth cut from the same piece of fabric.

   You loved Aqua. You weren’t afraid to say it, even now that she was gone. You loved her more than anything you’d ever loved in your life. You’d do anything for her, even when she’d annoy you (because God knows that all the best relationships weren’t perfect), no matter what it was. You didn’t care about anything as long as she was safe and happy. _If only you had put more effort into making sure she was safe._

   But what more was there you could do? You weren’t a Keyblade Wielder, you didn’t know how to use magic, and you certainly weren’t strong enough to go into the Realm of Darkness to try and rescue her. It broke your heart knowing that not only was Ven gone, not only was Terra gone, not only was Eraqus gone, but Aqua was gone, too. All four of the people you’d grown incredibly fond of over the past year and a half were all _gone_ . And there was _nothing_ you could do to fix it.

   There was something so screwed up about how Master Eraqus found a way to bring back a Paopu Fruit from a world called Destiny Islands at your and Aqua’s request. There was something so screwed up about how the two of you shared it, not caring about what the future had in store for either of you. Maybe then you’d be able to move on with your life after losing Aqua to the darkness.

   You’d never forget being approached by someone called King Mickey (You weren’t even aware that there was legitimate royalty in the worlds. Hell, you didn’t even know there were other worlds until Master Eraqus finally gave Aqua permission to tell you) ten years after losing Aqua. He insisted that you were the only person left that could save her, but you disagreed. You were too weak to save Aqua. You were too weak to save any of them.

   But then Mickey pointed something out to you. It was something you’d already known, but you hadn’t thought much of it. He had asked you why you hadn’t aged in ten years. You had always known this, but why hadn’t you questioned it? Were you too caught up in grieving the loss of your girlfriend and your close friends to do so? Maybe. But it arose a new question: Did that mean Aqua was still out there?

   “No,” you had argued. “She’s gone. She’s lost to the darkness forever.”

   But Mickey was persistent that you could save her. Oh, how you wished you could forget the prideful look on his face when it was discovered that you could, in fact, help find her. You were thrown into the Realm of Darkness and had King Mickey and a boy named Riku act as your escorts. It was the most terrifying thing you had ever done, but you had to do it. For Aqua.

   When you finally ended up finding Aqua, it was too late. She had spent far too long in the Realm of Darkness. She had been swallowed by it entirely. Not a trace of light oozed out of her like it used to.

   She turned to you, Mickey, and Riku with a murderous look in her eyes. Silver hair replaced her blue locks. Her aqueous eyes were replaced with a vibrant shade of gold. Her skin was much paler than it used to be and there was a menacing sneer on her lips rather than the usual smile that would grow whenever she would see you.

   “You’re too late.”

   You were frozen in your place as Riku and Mickey shot forward, fighting her. It was hard for them. You knew it was. They had both known Aqua to some extent, just like you had once before. But this wasn’t Aqua. You knew it wasn’t. This was someone else. She put on quite a show for the three of you though. She might’ve not been Aqua, but she sure looked like her and was just as strong as her. You wondered if it was possible for you to get through to her.

   Once Riku and Mickey had fallen (temporarily, you hoped), Aqua realized that the only person left in the general vicinity was you. She stalked toward you. “[Name],” she called, “it’s been a long, long time.”

   “You’re not her,” you immediately snapped, feeling a newfound wave of courage rumble from within you. Of course, that was when you realized you had absolutely no way of defending yourself.

   “Oh? You’re bolder than I remember,” Aqua taunted. “You’re still just as beautiful, unfortunately.”

   You were beyond scared. You were petrified. If Riku and Mickey couldn’t get up, then there was no saving you. You would be dead in the next ten minutes. Surely, there was _something_ you could do, right? “F...Flirting won’t get you anywhere,” you told her.

   “I figured,” Aqua replied, walking closer to you with her weapon in her dominant hand. “Nothing’s gotten me anywhere in the past ten years.”

   “Save the pity party for someone who’s interested,” you snarled. “Where’s Aqua?”

   The girl was taken aback by your curt response. But then she smiled at you, even laughing just a bit. “Oh, darling, can’t you see? I’m right here,” Aqua insisted. She reached out to touch your cheek with her left hand.

   You shook your head, leaning away from her touch. “You’re not her,” you insisted. “You’re not good enough.”

   Aqua cocked an eyebrow. “Good enough?” she repeated. She took a step backward. She disliked how your words stung. There was a fire that burned in her gaze when she looked at you after that. “Why would you say something like that, [Name]?”

 _That was it_. That was all you needed to hear to realize it. Aqua was still in there. Sure, you had to hurt her in order to discover it, but she was in there. She could still be saved. You could still save her.

   “Do you remember when we first met?” you asked, countering her question.

   Aqua smiled. She _actually_ smiled. “I do,” she answered. Her smile fell. “I spilled coffee on you. You were too stupid back then to realize I had done it on purpose.” This surprised you, but you didn’t let it show. “Stupid, innocent [Name]... I wonder, are you still just as naive as you once were?”

   You glanced back at Riku. It looked like he was starting to wake up after Aqua had knocked him out. Your gaze flickered back to Aqua. “I loved you,” you told her. You shook your head. “But how could I love someone who wasn’t strong enough?”

   Aqua’s eye twitched. “I _am_ strong enough!” she yelled at you, causing you to flinch. Aqua had never raised her voice at you like that before. For a second, her fierce demeanor faltered in response to your reaction. “I loved you, [Name], but you didn’t even try to find me. I would’ve done the same for you if you were stuck down here. How could I love a monster like _you_?”

 _Ouch_. That one stung. You shook it off. It wasn’t Aqua. It wasn’t Aqua. You had to keep telling yourself that the person in front of you wasn’t Aqua.

   You flinched when Riku turned to attack Aqua once more. You flew backward, not wanting to stand anywhere near the direct line of fire. The fight continued on until a sudden light broke down from the atmosphere, crashing onto the dark sand. A boy with spiky brown hair and a big smile stood tall with a Keyblade in hand. You recognized him as Sora. You had spoken to him once before you, Riku, and Mickey left to find Aqua.

   “I made it!” Sora called with a grin.

   The rest of the fight unfolded with the blink of an eye. All you knew was that one minute, Aqua was possessed by darkness, and the next, you were being transported out of the Realm of Darkness in a blinding light.

   When your vision returned to you, you had been standing on a beach of some sort. You had no idea where you were, but that didn't matter to you. What mattered to you was the fact that Aqua was back. She was _really_ back. The light had returned to her once more. You didn’t care that she had just woken up from an unconscious state. You pushed past Riku and Sora to join her side, nearly shoving King Mickey in the process. You kneeled by her side as she slowly woke up.

   “Ven… Terra… [Name]...” Aqua was mumbling to herself, clearly in a daze as she woke up. Her eyes fluttered open, her blue irises being scorched by the sunlight. You immediately lurched forward and hugged her as tightly as you possibly could. “Huh!?” She was clearly taken aback, but she recognized the feeling of your arms around her. Slowly, Aqua reached out and wrapped her arms around you. “[N-Name]...”

   “You’re here,” you mumbled against her skin. Your face was buried into the area between her shoulder and neck. “You’re really here. It’s you.”

   “[Name],” was all Aqua could say as the initial shock slowly faded into joy. “Oh my God, [Name], it’s you!” She squeezed you tighter. “Oh, [Name], I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry for abandoning you.”

   You pulled back from the hug with an appalled facial expression. “Are you insane!?” you countered. “You didn’t abandon me. You just… You had things you had to do. I’m sorry I didn’t try to look for you. I didn’t know it was possible. I didn’t know you were alive—!”

   “Stop,” interjected Aqua. “Don’t apologize.” She placed her hand on your cheek. “I’m sorry for what I said. I didn’t mean any of it.” She frowned as a tear slid down the side of your face. “Don’t cry, darling, please.” She leaned forward and kissed where the tear had fallen, causing it to vanish from your face.

   Sniffling, you offered her a weak smile. “You’re back,” you whispered.

   Aqua returned the smile. “I’m back, and I’m not going anywhere ever again.”

   “Promise?”

   “I promise.”

   You leaned forward and pressed your lips against hers, not caring that the others were watching the two of you reunite. “I love you, Aqua,” you mumbled against her lips. You could feel her smile against your touch.

   “I love you, [Name].”


	5. Pit Stops in Paradise [Sora]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sora couldn’t help but think that maybe being stuck on this random planet wouldn’t be so bad now that he had you.

**05\. Pit Stops in Paradise** [Sora]

   It was no secret that Sora had always had a sunny personality. He was the optimist in every way imaginable. He was famous for looking at the brighter side of things _and saving the worlds a few times, of course, no big deal_. He didn’t like thinking negatively; he’d just leave that for someone who had the patience for it. Instead, Sora just tried to do as he pleased and made sure he did so with a smile. Therefore, one could only imagine how conflicted he felt when his Gummi Ship broke down early this morning.

   Sora should have known better than to think this _wouldn’t_ have happened. It had happened during his journeys with Donald and Goofy in the past, but they were the ones to fix it up. See, Sora had decided to go on his own journey to find his best friend, Kairi after the second Keyblade War ended. Though the battle was over, Kairi was still missing, and Sora would do whatever it took to find her. His heart had already made its decision. There was no way he could give up now.

   But what the hell was he supposed to do now that he was traveling by himself with no one to help him with his Gummi Ship issue?

   Crash-landing onto a random planet he had never been to wasn’t even the worst part. The worst part was the fact that he had _no idea_ if he was supposed to leave the Gummi Ship where it was to go find help. Was that even safe? What if someone tried to steal it or raid it? Sure, Sora didn’t own many things, but he felt protective of the Gummi Ship. He had used it for countless adventures. He would feel terrible if something happened to it. Besides, it was a parting gift from Donald and Goofy.

   Sora wasn’t sure of what he should do.

   He felt a little silly. He knew he wasn’t exactly the most mature or smartest guy around, but _this_ was ridiculous. Maybe going out on his own without Donald and Goofy was a bad idea. Maybe Sora wasn’t ready for this kind of commitment. After all, he was still young and inexperienced to _some_ extent. Maybe—

   “Hello?”

   It was like the voice of God had just shouted to him from the heavens. Sora, who had been standing around with his hands tucked behind his head, perked up. He looked around, the tall blades of grass tickling his exposed skin on his legs. “Huh?” Sora hummed to himself.

   “Hellooo? Is someone out there?” Without another word, a person popped out from the trees. Sora watched you curiously. “Oh!” You smiled at the boy. “Hey! I saw the crash when it happened. That was _insane_ , dude. Are you okay?”

   Sora was taken aback for a moment by how casual you were acting. Someone crashes onto your planet and all you have to say is _That was crazy, are you good?_ Sora was intrigued. Nonetheless, Sora flashed his usual charming smile at you. “Uh, yeah, I think so!” admitted Sora.

   “Good,” you replied. “I don’t have enough gas in my truck to take your Gummi Ship back to my dad’s place _and_ drive you to the hospital.” You paused when Sora didn’t realize you were joking. You laughed lightly. “I’m kidding. I’m [Name], by the way.”

   Sora stared at you curiously as you walked over to the Gummi Ship, inspecting it. “You… You know what a Gummi Ship is?” he wondered nervously. He could practically hear Donald and Goofy yelling at him about the world order. Sora didn’t want to start meddling (or “muddling” as Goofy would say).

   You just nodded nonchalantly. “Mhm,” you confirmed, continuing to inspect it. “Yeah, we’re definitely gonna have to take it in to look at. I’ll even bring it over for free because I’m _seriously_ impressed at how you don’t have a single scratch on you.” You glanced back at Sora, who was staring at you curiously. “So do you have a name?”

   “Huh? Oh! I’m Sora!” He beamed at you. It was easy for Sora to turn on his friendly charm. It was why most people liked him. He was easy going in that sense. “It’s nice to meet you, [Name]. So you really think you can help me out? I’m kinda in a hurry.”

   You nodded again, laughing. “No worries, Sora,” you began, “I’ll have you out of here in no time. Things have been slow lately, so you came at a good time.”

   Sora was pleasantly surprised. It was like an angel heard his cries and journeyed down from the heavens to help him. He wasn’t sure how he always got so lucky, but he imagined it had something to do with good karma. After all, he had always done so much for the worlds without asking for anything in return. Maybe this was one of those instances of the universe giving back to him for everything he’d done.

   You drove Sora in your truck in a comfortable silence. His Gummi Ship was secured to the back of your vehicle, which surprised him furthermore because that thing must’ve weighed _tons_. Meanwhile, you could lug it over without worrying about your truck. Maybe Sora should seriously consider getting his driver’s license.

   Sora’s eyes widened with curiosity as you drove into a mechanics shop. It reminded him of the one Chip and Dale would work in back at King Mickey’s Disney Castle. There was a big sign outside that read _PARADISE MECHANICS_. “Welcome to Paradise!” you greeted with a smile.

   Sora glanced over at you with his head tilted to the side. “Paradise?” he repeated.

   “Mhm,” you hummed, parking your truck. “My parents think fixing things up is what paradise looks like.”

   “Ohhh,” dragged out Sora. He was genuinely impressed. He smiled widely. “Cool!”

   You paused, looking him over. You could read Sora rather easily. He had an easygoing, energetic, and friendly nature going on about him. You wondered if he was always like that. For all you knew, Sora had gone through some terrible trauma that made him that way. You shrugged. It wasn’t any of your business.

   Getting the Gummi Ship inside was a piece of cake. Sora stood around while you inspected it, talking rather quietly into a phone that had to be hung up on the wall when you were done with it. Sora wondered who you were talking to. Perhaps it was your parents, considering you had inferred that Paradise Mechanics belonged to them. That was Sora’s best guess.

   “Okay, Momma,” you said into the phone with a small smile. “Yeah, tell Dad I said hi…. Love you, too… Yeah, I’ll let him know… Okay, okay, bye!” You turned around and hung the phone up on the wall. Sora watched as you approached him again. “Alright, well, my parents are out of town, so you’re stuck with me until I fix this bad boy up.”

   Sora’s pretty, cerulean eyes grew in size so significantly that you were sure they’d pop right out of his head. “Huh!? _You’re_ gonna fix it?” Sora queried in surprise.

   You shrugged nonchalantly. “Yep!”

   “But… You’re my age, aren’t you?”

   “Mhm!” you confirmed again. You laughed at his concern. “Don’t worry. You’re not the first person that’s been concerned about my capabilities. We could always wait for my parents to finish up with whatever they’re doing for King Mickey, but you said that you’re in a hurry and I don’t wanna keep you waiting for that long. Really, I’m all you’ve got unless you wanna wait.”

   Sora ignored what you had just said, his mind jumped forward as it always did. “You know the King?” he asked in awe.

   You smiled warmly at him. “You ask a lot of questions, you know that?” you asked, causing Sora’s cheeks to turn a faint shade of red. “Yeah, I know King Mickey. Well, not really. I’ve only met him a few times when my parents take me to Disney Castle with them. Dad does a lot of mechanic stuff with Chip and Dale. He’s one of the best in the business, but don’t tell my mom I said that.” You chuckled to yourself. “He’s right up there next to my Uncle Cid.”

   “Whoa!” Sora exclaimed in awe. “Cid’s your uncle?”

   You nodded, naturally assuming Sora knew Cid. It wasn’t exactly an abnormal thing. You swore most people knew Cid and your parents. “I guess it’s a small world,” you commented. “Or… small worlds.” You and Sora laughed at your remark.

   Just based off of knowing you for about an hour, Sora could already tell a number of things about you. He knew you were smart and easygoing. He knew you certainly weren’t like most people he stumbled into on varying worlds. He liked your nonchalant nature. Sora wished he was as laidback as you. Maybe then he wouldn’t feel like he always had to be on the move.

   Sora watched as you inspected the Gummi Ship. You mumbled things to yourself that Sora had only ever heard from professional mechanics like Cid and Chip and Dale. Maybe that meant you actually knew what you were talking about. After all, it did seem like you grew up in this business.

   So, Sora decided to go with his gut. “You know, I don’t think it’s a bad idea if you work on the ship,” Sora declared. “Just don’t break her. She’s a parting gift.”

   “She?” you repeated. “Does she have a name?”

   Sora paused. “Nah, not really,” he answered after a few seconds of thinking about it. “But don’t most people call their vehicles ‘she’?” This got a good laugh out of you.

   “So,” you started, trying to make casual conversation as you worked. It helped the time go faster that way, “you’re a Keyblade Wielder, I’m assuming? Like, a real one?”

   Sora pauses. He’s always been afraid of talking about his Keyblade and everything so casually to unsuspecting civilians on varying planets. Isn’t that considered meddling? Then again, it seemed like you already knew a lot more than he was expecting… “Uh, yeah!” he answered pridefully.

   “That’s pretty cool,” you admitted. “I used to think King Mickey was the coolest guy ever because of his.”

   “Heh, yeah,” Sora replied. “King Mickey’s great.”

   You smiled and nodded, leaning away from the Gummi Ship. “Well, I hate to say it, but it looks like you’ll be stuck here for a few days. Maybe three or four days at the very minimum. You seriously busted this thing up in the crash, and your ship is an older model. I’ll have to get Uncle Cid to send over some parts,” you rambled, mostly making notes for yourself. “I’m really sorry about it, Sora.”

   But to your surprise, Sora flashed a big smile at you. “Don’t worry about it! I’m just glad I have a friend like you to help me out!” he insisted.

   Your eyebrows shot upward at how he referred to you as a friend. Hadn’t the two of you _just_ met? Why was he already calling you his friend? You were intrigued by this boy, almost as much as he was curious by you.

   “Say, do you think you can teach me some things while you’re at it?” Sora wondered. “I should probably know _something_ in case you’re not around the next time I need help.”

   You smiled at him again. “Sounds good to me,” you insisted.

   Sora couldn’t help but think that maybe being stuck on this random planet wouldn’t be so bad now that he had you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is lowkey trash, but i liked the idea and i love sora and i couldn't help myself. so SORRY if you hated it lmao, i promise i'll give sora some better content in the future. i'm trying to get out a good chunk of drabbles for varying characters before i start doing repeats. i already have LOTS of ideas for roxas, mostly because he's my favorite character hehe. BUT if there's someone you're dying to read about (ven, vanitas, xion, riku, etc.), let me know and i'll see what i can do!<3


	6. Love Bug [Vanitas]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vanitas is sick with the love bug!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh yes it's vanitas time. i love my edgy boy. this is more of a platonic drabble just because i fear writing vanitas ooc, BUT if anyone wants me to write more lovey dovey vanitas, i can definitely see what i can whip up! OR you can totally check out my vanitas fic i'm working on called "love like you" ;) i'm already quite proud of it hehe
> 
> ANYWAYS on with the chapter!

**06\. Love Bug** [Vanitas]

 

  If there was one thing you learned from constantly being surrounded by Keyblade Wielders and various denizens of both light and dark, it was that normal humans were absolutely, positively weak. Seriously—your friends were out here encompassing their heart's genuine light and projecting it into the form of Keyblades they used to fight the darkness all day every day for months at a time like it was _nothing_. Meanwhile, you became winded from just heading up a flight of stairs. Normal humans were totally weak in comparison to your friends. Hey, you had the right to say that, considering you were, in fact, just a normal human being.

  Getting caught up with a crowd of reckless heroes seemed to be just how short your luck ran. Of course, you loved your friends dearly, but being friends with them put you in a ridiculous amount of danger in return. You couldn't really complain, though. Life would be boring without them, and they'd never let you forget it, especially your best friend, Vanitas.

  "You're an idiot, [Name]."

  You rolled your eyes as you sat sprawled out across the couch in your living room. Your legs were outstretched, elevated by the arm of the couch. One of your arms was tucked behind your head while the other flicked through Netflix in search of something to keep you entertained. "I'm dying, and—" You sneezed, sniffling second later. "—and  _this_ is how you greet me? I'm hurt!"

  Vanitas scoffed. "You wanna know hurt? I'll happily show you," Vanitas emptily threatened, walking further into your apartment after slamming the door shut behind him. Sometimes you really did regret giving him your spare key.

  "Vanitas? Happy?" you repeated curly with a snicker. "That doesn't sound—" Sniffle. "—right."

   You could only imagine how the ebony-haired boy rolled his golden eyes. You'd seen it enough times in your life to be able to picture it perfectly as he dropped (presumably) his bag by the couch. Then, he walked around it and shoved your legs off to sit down. You hardly batted an eye at this action, far too used to occurrences like this one. "How'd you get sick anyway?" Vanitas uninterestedly wondered, making himself comfortable. "Eat something poisonous? Synthesize something wrong? That sounds like you, actually. I'm willing to bet that's it."

  You shot Vanitas a pointed look. "Are you forgetting who you're talking to, dumbass?" you retorted, putting your legs on his lap. He hardly reacted to it. "I have a  _cold_."

  Vanitas's face twisted up in disgust. "A  _cold_?" he repeated, very obviously unimpressed. He often forgot that you were just a normal person, which caused you to stick out like a sore thumb in your group of friends. You never minded. It's not like you were missing out on much besides breaking bones and hurting yourself, which you could do all by your clumsy self. Then again, your friends were the ones saving the worlds while doing so... "From someone using Blizzaga on you?"

  "From walking home in the rain yesterday," you revealed nonchalantly. "I missed the bus again."

  You weren't surprised to hear Vanitas loudly sigh, almost as if he wanted you to hear it. You, however, had been expecting this reaction. "Idiot," he commented. "You should've called me."

  "I didn't wanna bother you," you simply told him.

  "You always bother me," he pointed out. "That's the beauty of this friendship." You just shrugged, focusing your attention on picking something to watch. The task was now somewhat more difficult because you had to pick something that would interest Vanitas, too. "Did you forget I still use Dark Corridors, or did you  _want_ to get sick?"

  You glanced back at him, eyes narrowed. "You aren't supposed to be using those anymore," you gently reminded him, thinking about how he was making great strides to cross over to the light. He was mostly just doing it for you and Ven.

  Vanitas shook his head. "Nah," he replied. "It's not like I'm any good at this light bullshit. The darkness makes me stronger." That wasn't true. You both knew it.

  "You sound like a shitty Tumblr post."

   Vanitas snorted at your casual reaction. He always liked how you didn't push the light onto him. You didn't need to. You knew he was working hard to be where he wanted to be. There was no need to put unnecessary weight on his shoulders. That was what being mentored by Master Yen Sid and Aqua was for.

  "And you sound like [Name]."

  "And what's  _that_ supposed to mean?"

  "It means you sound annoying."

  You rolled your eyes, snickering at his remark. You and Vanitas had always had an unconventional friendship. You were always insulting each other without batting an eye. You remembered one time, you had accidentally insulted Sora, subconsciously thinking he was Vanitas without thinking twice about it. (Hey, they had the exact same face! It was an honest mistake that happened only for about a week). You, naturally, spent the rest of the day apologizing to the blithe boy who had been nothing but kind to you. Sora brushed it off pretty quickly, though, given that he didn't know what a "walking emo twink" was supposed to mean anyway.

  Yours and Vanitas's friendship was the least expected. After all, you had started out as a good friend to 1st Class SOLDIER Zack Fair, who was easily one of the brightest and happiest people you'd ever known before Sora.  _Even now, you had a hard time deciding who embodied the sun more between Zack and Sora._  Still, point being, Vanitas was the complete opposite of Zack Fair and everything he stood for, yet somehow, the two of you had become best friends.

  You meeting Vanitas wasn't supposed to happen. It was honestly just as much of a surprise to you as it was for everyone else. See, in the middle of a mission during the second Keyblade War, you had been kidnapped by Vanitas to use as a hostage to convince the dwellers of light to back down. It was Master Xehanort's idea, which explained why it didn't work out. Apparently, he assumed you had some sort of ability or powers that he could use against the light, otherwise known as your friends, considering everyone who hung around that crowd used weapons, magic, or owned a Keyblade.

   However, you were just ordinary [Name]. It took hours of convincing Vanitas (including annoying him to no end because you didn't seem to actually fear him. Perhaps that was because he and Sora had the same face) before he took you home, swearing that you were lucky he didn't kill you for giving him a headache. 

   After that, Vanitas would visit you and shamelessly stalk you to make sure you hadn't been lying to him, which you weren't. If you were, you would've found a way to kick Vanitas's ass a long time ago. You surprisingly enjoyed his company while your friends were gone, even if he had tried to kidnap you. Again, he just reminded you of a gloomy Sora, so you didn't feel the need to be afraid of Vanitas. Vanitas liked being around you because you treated him like a normal person, even if he was actually just half a person. Once the war had ended, you and his other half, Ventus (who strongly insisted that everyone called him Ven) convinced the others to let Vanitas stick around. The rest from there was history, and soon enough, you and Vanitas became best friends.

  "Would you pick something already?" Vanitas groaned from beside you as you continued to flick through Netflix.

  Your nose scrunched up in response. "I can't decide," you confessed. "I'm too hungry to think." Almost as if on cue, your stomach rumbled rather loudly. You puffed your cheeks out as you sighed, reaching out to drop the PlayStation controller in your hand. "I'll make us some food—"

  Vanitas shot you a wild look. "Are you stupid?" he interrupted.

  "No, I'm [Name]," you deadpanned as you sat up, coughing in the process. Your feet touched the floor, your back straightening for a moment before you slouched forward as usual.

  Vanitas hit your leg, causing you to yelp in pain. You'd always forget how ridiculously and superhumanly strong all of your friends were, but they always managed to remind you one way or another. "You're  _sick_ ," Vanitas reminded you. "I'll make you soup."

  You furrowed your eyebrows together. You stared at Vanitas with wide eyes, the color of your irises shining under the lighting of your apartment. Judging by the way you were looking at him, he might as well have been a ghost or something else that could scare you enough to make  _that_ face.

  Vanitas tilted his head to the side. "What?" he sneered.

  "You're..." you trailed off. The only sound that came from you after that was another sniffle. You scooted close to him, pressing your hand against his forehead. "Are you sick or something? You don't have a fever, so that must mean—"

  "Cut it out, [Name]!" Vanitas barked, slapping your hand away. "I'm not sick!" You narrowed your eyes at him, which prompted him to add, "I'm serious!"

  You stared at him for another moment longer. "You're not gonna poison it, are you?" you interrogated.

  Vanitas rolled his eyes again. "No, [Name]. But I might spit in it if you keep annoying me," Vanitas threatened, beginning to stand up. He flicked your forehead, pushing you back just a centimeter. "God, you're stupid. Can't I just do my best friend a solid?" A light bulb seemed to go off in your head once you heard this. "Look, just think of it this way. I don't wanna get sick because of your recklessness."

  You paused, thinking about it some more. As Vanitas started to walk back toward your kitchen, a wild grin spread across your face. "But you  _are_ sick, Van," you called, standing to your feet and following after him. Your fuzzy socks allowed you to glide through your home with ease.

  Vanitas shot you a blank glance. "No,  _you're_ sick," Vanitas reminded you as he rummaged through your belongings. Vanitas was over often enough to know where everything was at this point, but not because he particularly enjoyed cooking. He was just incredibly nosy with no sense of boundaries. "Literally. Sit down, idiot."

  "No," you pressed. "You are, too! Sick with the  _love bug_ , that is!"

  Vanitas's eyes widened. He froze, looking back at you. "Wh—Are you losing brain cells or something?" Vanitas fired. "Why are you smiling like that, you freak?"

  "Face it, asshat," you continued. "You, the King of Darkness and all things edgy,  _actually_ love me enough to make me food while I'm sick!"

  "You're stupid."

  "Vanitas is sick with the love bug!" you chanted, laughing wildly. "Aw, I knew you'd come around and face it one day,  _best friend!"_

  Vanitas glared at you. He knew saying those words would ignite something in you he'd be unable to extinguish. Of course, you'd call him your best friend all the time. It was bound to come from him at some point, wasn't it? "I will literally murder you if you don't shut up," he hissed.

  You snickered shamelessly. "With  _love?"_ you teased. "Huh, hey!" You just barely ducked as he hurled a pot in your direction. "Hey, I actually paid for this stuff with my own money!"

  Vanitas shrugged. "Cry about it," he insisted.

  You grinned, walking over and nudging the much taller boy with your elbow. "You love me, Van," you pestered. "Just admit it. We can be like Ven, Terra, and Aqua. Those guys have been best friends  _forever_."

  "They're also incredibly stupid," Vanitas pointed out, continuing to whip up some food for you, despite the fact that you were acting as a human headache once again.

  Snickering, you shook your head. "Aw, don't be that way, Van," you told him with a smile. "For what it's worth, I love you, too. Even if you're a big hardass."

  Vanitas rolled his eyes once again, continuing to make the soup with his back facing you. And as you continued to ramble, this time changing the subject because you knew how Vanitas felt about things involving actual emotions, there was something he couldn't quite shake off. It was a warm, swelling feeling in his half-heart. No, half-heart didn't sound right.

  Was it actually possible that being around someone as _stupid_ as you made him feel like his heart was... complete?

  No, that  _had_ to be it. Vanitas wasn't an idiot. Sure, he lived in denial of happiness and basked in the darkness that forged his existence, but he wasn't stupid like his best friend was. That was it. But why? Why now? Why you, of all people? Vanitas truthfully wasn't sure.  What he was sure of, however, was that you had somehow managed to find a way to make Vanitas  _want_ to keep living, even if life was stupid and miserable. Well, how about that.

  Of course, Vanitas would never tell you that.

  After all, you were an idiot.

  No, you were  _his_ idiot, and he would do anything to make sure it stayed that way.


	7. Naminé's Muse [Naminé]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You were in love with the girl who saw art in everything, including the ketchup on the side of your mouth.

**07. Naminé's Muse** [Naminé]

 

   “You know, you could always just take a picture with your phone. It lasts longer,” you nonchalantly mentioned to the blonde sitting before you. Your elbows were propped up on the table of the booth you two shared, an admittedly large burger resting in your hands. Oil dripped off of it onto your plate as you took another bite out of it.

   “ _Or_ you could just let me do what I want,” Naminé jokingly told you. Her bright blue eyes continued to flicker between you and the napkin she had been drawing on. Her arm covered your view from the napkin, but you knew what she was drawing. The side of your mouth twitched into a crooked smile, causing her to eye you carefully. “What?”

   You shook your head. “Nothing,” you insisted. “You’re just cute.”

   A sheet of red became draped over Naminé’s pale cheeks as she diverted her attention back to the napkin she had been doodling all over. “T...Thanks,” Naminé shyly replied, smiling to herself. You just laughed softly and continued to eat your meal.

   You and Naminé had been dating for about six months now, but it felt like it had been forever. Not in a bad way, of course. In a good way. Like, you couldn’t imagine life without Naminé now that she was your girlfriend. You’d had your ups and downs, but what normal couple didn’t?

   “Hey, Nam, can I ask you something?” you queried after swallowing another bite of your burger. “Why do you always draw me?”

   Naminé pursed her lips. “What makes you think I always draw you?” she innocently wondered.

   You rolled your eyes, the light from the window next to you two hitting your irises as you did so. “Oh, so you mean all of those doodles in your notebooks are just someone who _looks_ like me? You know, that’s borderline stalking,” you teased.

   Naminé giggled. The sound was music to your ears. “Maybe you just have a secret twin I never told you about,” she suggested.

   “I wouldn’t be surprised,” you admitted. “I mean, there are four copies of Sora running around the islands, aren’t there?” You and Naminé shared a brief laugh at the thought of Sora, Ven, Vanitas, and Roxas and how they were all essentially copies of one another. “It’d make for a great TV show though.”

   Naminé laughed again. “I’d watch it,” she insisted before slamming her pen down and smiled at her napkin doodle. “Done!”

   “That was fast,” you commented.

   Shrugging, Naminé simply replied, “It’s easy drawing angels.” As you blushed, you grabbed one of your french fries and chucked it at her face.

   “You’re a dork,” you told her with a grin.

   “And you’re my muse,” Naminé flirted, causing your smile to increase in size.

   Shaking your head, you reached out for the napkin and slid it across the table. “C’mon, let me see it,” you insisted. Your eyes scanned it within seconds.

   You had always been fascinated and awestruck by Naminé’s insane ability to draw everything so accurately, so perfectly. Your girlfriend was a professional at this point, and you’d been her biggest supporter the whole way through.

   As expected, the drawing was perfect. Of course, it was you, so it wasn’t anything you hadn’t seen before. Still, you weren’t sure how Naminé could draw something with so much love. It was like you were seeing yourself through her eyes. Though Naminé obviously hadn’t changed anything about your appearance, something about her drawings of you made your heart swell. Perhaps it was because you really were Naminé’s muse.

   You stared at the doodle for a few seconds as Naminé resumed eating her food she had stopped consuming momentarily. She watched you carefully as you looked at it. It was, as always, incredible and accurate. Naminé’s art style had changed dozens of times over the months you’d known her, but you’d loved every interpretation she’d come up with of you. This one wasn’t any different. From the curve of your cheek, the circular shape of your eyes, and even the angle of your smile were all drawn with love. Even the— _Wait a second_.

   You narrowed your eyes at the small dot on your face. “What is that?” you asked. You turned the napkin and pointed at the irregularity on your face.

   Naminé just laughed. “You had some ketchup on your face, so I drew it in,” she explained matter-of-factly.

   Your eyes widened as you reached up, wiping your face with the back of your hand. Surely enough, there had been ketchup by the side of your mouth. “And you didn’t tell me!?” you shrieked, bursting into laughter. “I probably looked like an idiot this whole time.”

   “It was cute,” Naminé promised with another giggle. Something about you made her giggle like a poor schoolgirl. But she didn’t mind. She liked the way she felt when she was with you. Naminé had changed a lot since she started dating you, but in a good way. With you, everything was always good. You brought out the best in her, and vise-versa. You taught her how to love herself, how to be confident in who she was, and how beautiful life could be when you're not living in your own shadow. You were probably the best thing to ever happen to Naminé, and she had no idea how she could ever repay you. Whenever she'd say things like that, you'd just assure her that loving you back was enough.

   You shook your head. “You’re lucky I like you,” you joked.

   Naminé raised an eyebrow. “[Name], are you flirting with me?”

   “Well, it certainly took you long enough to notice. You’d think six months of dating would make it obvious.”

   As Naminé laughed, she glanced down at her phone that had been vibrating throughout their little lunch date. “Aqua’s inviting us to a movie night with Terra. You down?” Naminé queried.

   You shrugged. “Sure,” you answered. “I’ll get them to put something scary on.”

   “Why? So you can force me to cuddle with you when you get scared?” Naminé teased. You stuck your tongue out at her, knowing very well that this would definitely be the case. She laughed and added, “I’ll let them know we’ll be there. Now, I don’t know about you, but I want some ice cream. You wanna go?”

   “With you?” you replied, sitting your chin in the palm of your hand. “I’ll follow you to the ends of the Earth.”

   Naminé blushed again despite her response coming off as sarcastic. “Hm, _now_ who’s the stalker in this relationship?” she taunted.

   You just laughed at the blonde as she rose to her feet and offered you a hand. You interlocked your fingers after throwing down some cash onto the table. Naminé quickly pecked your cheek before dragging you out of the small diner you were in.

   You really were in love with the girl who saw art in everything, including the ketchup on the side of your mouth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow i really haven't updated this in a MINUTE!! but i just wanted to say a quick thank you for all the kindness you've all shown me and my writings in the past few months. my heart is warm <3 i wanted to get something out, also, since it's been so long. i really just write these whenever i'm bored and have the time to. BUT i have some things in the works and i promise i'll update this and my other works more often soon <333


	8. Kisses of Fire [Axel/Lea]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You were convinced your boyfriend of two years was going to be the reason you had a heart attack before you were 30.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Post-KH3! Fem!Reader x Axel!

**08\. Kisses of Fire**  [Axel/Lea]

 

   You were convinced your boyfriend of two years was going to be the reason you had a heart attack before you were 30.

   You knew what you were getting yourself into when you befriended a boatload of Keyblade Wielders, each with matching self-sacrificing mantras; however, you had no idea that you would end up catching feelings for one of them in the process. If you could have predicted something like that, you would have declined Merlin’s offer of joining the team.

   You were a Nurse in Radiant Gardens at the top of your field. When you were a bystander in the midst of a Heartless ambush, the first thing you did instead of running away was sprinting into the warzone to aid those who had been injured. Merlin was so impressed by your bravery that he offered you a spot on the team to help heal everyone’s wounds when necessary (which was more often than not). Yes, surprisingly, there were plenty of wounds that couldn’t be healed with a simple Curaga spell. You’d tried it enough in your career to know that personally.

   Being apart of the team for the past few years had been a blast. You were still being surprised by all of the crazy injuries your friends would come to you with. There was one time Roxas had completely dislocated his arm after swan-diving off of Rapunzel’s tower to get away from a Heartless stampede. Another time, you had to pull out actual Heartless teeth from Goofy’s arm. You weren’t sure which was scarier: the fact that Heartless had teeth or Ienzo asking you to send them his way for “personal reasons” (which was his way of saying “research”).

   Everyday was a rollercoaster when you’re friends with the reckless heroes of light, but if there was one person who really kept you on your toes, it was your boyfriend.

   “C’mon, baby, talk to me,” Axel begged as you worked on cleaning up one of the many cuts on his arms. You had been giving him the silent treatment for the past 30 minutes, and the ever-so needy man was tired of not receiving any legitimate attention from his lover. “Please?”

   Now, you knew that Axel was a reckless son of a bitch, but sometimes, you were convinced he had a death wish by how careless he could be. Of course, no one was more reckless than Sora, but it was different because you were dating Axel. You hated seeing him hurt, even if you knew it came with the job. You just didn’t know what you’d do if he came to you and you couldn’t help him because it was too late.

   You dragged your gaze upward at him, arching an eyebrow. You were holding a bloodied gauze from trying to clean his toned arms, and you were seconds away from securing it around his mouth to get him to stop talking. Silence filled the air between you two before Axel flashed you a cocky smile and said, “Take a picture. It lasts longer.”

   Of course, that resulted in you dousing his arm with more alcohol than necessary, sending uncomfortable shocks throughout his body. Axel winced. “Okay, I deserved that,” he mumbled.

   “Damn right,” you finally spoke, causing his emerald eyes to light up.

   “Ah, she finally speaks,” Axel taunted.

   “Sorry, I had to mentally prepare myself to tell you how much of an idiot you are,” you replied.

   “But I’m _your_ idiot, [Name],” Axel added, causing you to fully stop what you were doing just to give him a judgemental stare. He smirked at you. “Is this the part where we makeout?”

   “Just because I’m wearing a Nurse’s uniform doesn’t mean we’re about to reenact your favorite pornos, Lea,” you insisted with a bit of an edge to your voice. Axel rolled his eyes before staring at you, thinking hard for a moment.

   “...Did I do something wrong?” Axel eventually asked, breaking the silence once more.

   You released an exasperated sigh before standing up straight. You locked eyes with him. “Look at my face and tell me what you think,” you insisted.

   “I think…” Axel trailed off as he stared into your eyes. “I think you’re really pretty.”

   You blinked twice with a completely blank face before turning away from him. You did so just in the nick of time. Your entire face turned bright red due to his naturally flirty nature. As you discarded the gauze, you turned to grab more supplies to continue working. You cleared your throat and hoped that your blush had faded enough before turning back to Axel.

   “Come on, [Name],” whined Axel, this time sounding a bit more pleading. “Tell me what I did wrong so we can make up and remain couple of the century.”

   This time, you let a little laugh slip out. You couldn’t help it. He was just so damn cute. Your posture deflated just a bit as you finally admitted why you were so upset in the first place. “I just hate seeing you get hurt,” you mumbled, stitching a cut on his bicep. “I know it’s your job, but… You’ve come here everyday this month with worse and worse injuries every time. I mean, jumping out of a skyscraper in San Fransokyo? Seriously? Do you have a death wish or something?”

   Axel furrowed his eyebrows together just a bit. “ _That’s_ what you’re upset about?”

   “Well, saying it out loud makes me feel a little dumb, but I stand by it,” you continued, suddenly feeling a bit shy. “I just don’t know what I’d do if you died, like, for real, and I couldn’t help you because you wanted to be a little show off out there. I mean, seriously, Lea. You guys are just taking out the remaining Heartless and Nobodies. You don’t have to put on a show for everyone every time.”

   Placing down your tools, you glimpsed up to finally meet his gaze again. You were surprised to see him smiling like an idiot at you. “What are you smiling like that for?” you asked.

   “God, I’m in love with you, [Name].”

   “Okay, now is _not_ the time to try and… be cute,” you replied, flustered and blushing once again.

   “Who said I have to _try_ to be cute?” Axel quipped as you sat down on his lap to get closer to the cut on his temple. With a pair of tweezers, you started to warily withdraw small shards of glass from his venture earlier that day. “You know, usually when you’re upset with someone, you don’t sit in their laps.”

   Leaning back just a bit, you hit his shoulder as Axel held onto your waist. “I’m trying to get a better angle, dummy,” you told him.

   “Oh, and you sit on _all_ of your patient’s laps? Because we’re gonna have to have a talk about that.”

   “No, I’m sitting on your lap because you’re my _boyfriend_. Did you forget?”

   “How could I forget I’m dating an angel like you?”

   You shook your head and continued to work on the remainder of his cuts. You were being just a little bit more cautious, not wanting to mess up his face. _Then again, maybe you should if you wanted his ego to shrink..._

   “I’m serious, [Name],” insisted Axel. “I know you don’t want me to get hurt, but… I can’t really prevent that. I know it hurts you seeing me like this, but think about how I feel.”

   “You mean based off your injuries…?”

   “No! You think I like seeing my soulmate upset?” Axel questioned, getting a laugh out of you. He smiled at you, pulling you just a little bit closer to him. “I wish I could stay perfectly safe just for you, but I can’t. But know this: I’m always fighting for our forever, [Name].”

   You paused, pressing your lips together. You were finally done cleaning up his wounds. “That is the cheesiest thing you’ve ever told me, Lea,” you commented before leaning forward and briefly kissing him. “But I’m in love with you, too.”

   The corner of his lips twitched upward as he smirked at you again. “Aw, you’re making me blush, baby.”

   You rolled your eyes as he placed his hand under your chin and pulled you close to him again. The contact sent shocks throughout your body as you kissed him again. They were the same shocks as the first time he kissed you two years ago.

   Pulling back, you narrowed your eyes at him. “You know, you could’ve definitely used Curaga on most of these,” you pointed out.

   “And miss out on a chance to spend time with my favorite girl?” Axel replied. “Pfft, yeah, right.” You smiled and pecked his lips again, throwing your arms around his neck. “You don’t do this with other patients, do you?”

   “No, I’m afraid not, you perv,” you joked, knowing fully well that little comment would irritate him. He narrowed his eyes at you, causing you to giggle and kiss him again. “C’mon, babe, you know I didn’t mean it.”

   Axel sighed. “It is so much harder to be mad at you,” the fiery redhead grumbled. His kisses of fire continued to attack your lips until it turned into a full-fledged makeout session.

   “Hey, [Name], do you mind if I steal a bandaid for—Oh my God!”

   You ripped your face away from Axel and practically threw yourself off of his lap at the sound of poor Ven’s voice. Your entire face was burning as the shy boy placed his hands over his eyes. “God, why me!?” the blond boy cried. He turned around before walking away. “Never mind, I’ll just go ask Aqua!”

   Your heart pounded against your chest as you leaned against the counter behind you. You puffed your cheeks out as you caught your breath, nervously laughing at the fact that sweet Ven had walked in on you and Axel fully making out in your office.

   “Oh my God,” you breathlessly muttered.

   “You’re telling me,” replied Axel. “You bit my lip.”

   You shot him a little glare. “Like you don’t love it,” you teased. The cocky man just smirked at you. You had no idea how much you were the woman of his dreams.

   “Don’t make me come over there,” Axel harmlessly threatened.

   You arched your eyebrows. “Oh, yeah? What are _you_ gonna do about it, Noodle Arms?” you taunted.

   “Noodle Arms?” repeated Axel, almost feeling challenged by your comment. He stood up from where he had been sitting, instantly towering over you. “Oh, yeah, you’re asking for it now.”

   The next thing you knew, you were being thrown over your boyfriend’s shoulder and dragged out of your office. And as Axel dragged you around outside your office, everyone just laughed at the two of you.

   Sometimes, people wondered if you and Axel really were the couple of the century. Though they’d never tell either of you that.


	9. Little Admirer [Ventus]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You didn’t know it then, but your words sent the butterflies in Ven’s stomach into a frenzy.

**09\. Little Admirer** [Ventus]

 

   Someone’s been leaving notes in your locker.

   Embarrassingly enough, you didn’t even notice them at first. You were such a mess half the time, especially with midterms being right around the corner, that you didn’t even have the time to be rummaging through your locker every day. You’d merely put in your combination, grab whatever you needed, and hurried to class. Half the time, you were trying to beat the bell (because Lord knows you can’t afford any more tardies). Surely anyone could understand that you just didn’t have time for secret notes, right? Hell, you didn’t even notice them until your close friend, Riku pointed it out.

   “Jesus, [Name], you live like this?” Riku taunted as you swung open your locker door to grab your books for your next two classes.

   You shot him a (mostly) harmless glare. “Sorry not all of us have our lives together,” you replied lightheartedly. “Some of us were just born messes.”

   Riku let out a little laugh. “Riiight.” He leaned against the wall of lockers, watching you in amusement. He furrowed his eyebrows at all of the papers that had slipped out. There were a few that caught his eye, however. “What are those?”

   “Huh?” You peered back at him, only to follow his gaze back to your locker. On the floor of your locker, there were four little envelopes with your name written with scratchy penmanship. “Uh, I’m… not sure. Probably calculus notes or something.” You went to grab them, but Riku was one step ahead of you.

   “Who leaves their math notes in envelopes?” Riku retorted as he carelessly ripped open one of the envelopes. His eyes scanned the contents of the envelope in an instant.

   “Hey, if KhanAcademy suggests it, I’m all over it,” you joked. You paused when Riku didn’t laugh at your joke, his attention being soaked up like a sponge by the seemingly harmless letter in his hands. You tilted your head to the side. “What is it? What does it say?” Riku remained silent, a big smile serving as his response. “...Hello? Earth to Riku?”

   “Well, well, well, [Name],” Riku replied. He folded up the note and chuckled. “I didn’t think this day would ever come.”

   “Are you gonna tell me what it is or are you gonna make me late for class?” you inquired.

   Riku hummed, holding out the envelope for you. “I think you should read it yourself,” he insisted.

   You narrowed your eyes at him. “...Alright, weirdo,” you said before taking it from his hands. You weren’t sure if you were intimidated or confused by the smug look on his face. You unfolded the letter and skimmed it briefly, curiosity coloring your features.

 

_ [Name], _

_ I hope this isn’t weird. I know you’re always busy, so I thought I’d leave this note for you. I’m sure you get this a lot, but you looked really pretty today. Not that you don’t look pretty every day, but I just thought I’d let you know. _

_ Sincerely, your secret admirer _

 

   Confusion struck you as you reread the words again and again. You peered up at Riku. “I think someone must’ve put this in the wrong locker,” you ultimately decided.

   Riku rolled his eyes. “It’s addressed to  _ you _ .”

   You hesitated. “Maybe I’m being pranked?” you suggested.

   “You have a secret admirer,” Riku matter-of-factly declared.

   You shook your head. “Why would  _ I _ have a secret admirer?”

   “Because you’re nice, funny, smart,” listed Riku as you stared back down at the letter, eyebrows bunched together. “It’s not  _ that _ crazy, you know. It was bound to happen eventually.”

   You ignored his kindness, which only came so often. Instead, you glanced back up at him and asked, “Who wrote it?”

   Riku rolled his eyes. “That’s the whole point of a  _ secret _ admirer,” he deadpanned. “You’re not supposed to know.”

   A pout tugged on your lips. You were too curious for your own good. “But—” You were interrupted by the bell rang, indicating that you and Riku were late for your next class. “Aaaaand, I’m late again. Thanks, Riku.”

   Riku snickered as you slammed your locker door shut, but not before taking the remainder of the letters and shoving them into your bag. “You act like you don’t love me,” he taunted.

   “It’s not acting,” you mumbled, causing him to nudge you lightly. Without another word, you followed his lead as the two of you headed for class, where Riku spat out some kind of bullshit lie about the Headmaster pulling you guys aside to have a casual chat. Strangely enough, your teacher believed it.

   Normally, you devoted all of your attention to each class as they occurred throughout the day. You were a hardworking student. Sure, you weren’t the  _ perfect _ student—that role was created for your close friend, Riku—but you put in the effort and got the grades you deserved. But today was different. Instead of things like Derivative rules and inverse functions, you were thinking about these damn notes your so-called secret admirer

   There were four notes in total, including the one you and Riku had read in the hallway. They were all dated to almost a month ago, one for every week since then. They were all short letters that had one purpose: to compliment you.  _ You _ of all people!

 

_ [Name], _

_ What you said in class today was really funny. I didn’t think anyone had the balls to call Mr. Cid a “boomer”, but you do. You’re really cool. _

_ Sincerely, your secret admirer _

 

 

_ [Name], _

_ I saw you at the library studying with Kairi yesterday. I wanted to say hi to you, but I’m pretty sure you don’t know my name. But maybe someday, we can hang out together, too? _

_ Sincerely, your secret admirer _

_ PS - I overheard you saying something about how you were gonna fail your chemistry test. You work too hard to think like that! Believe in yourself! But if it helps, I feel the same way. Chem sucks :-( _

 

 

_ [Name], _

_ Today, you let me borrow a pencil at lunch so I could finish up some homework. Plus, you even let me cheat off of you a little bit. You’re seriously the kindest person I’ve ever met. I wish I could tell you that in person, but I think you might laugh in my face if I did. I hope these letters are good enough though! _

_ Sincerely, your secret admirer _

 

 

   You read them over and over again until you practically had them memorized by heart. A smile crossed your face despite feeling absolute uncertainty. You weren’t sure why someone would take time out of their day to say such sweet things to you. Sure, it was just a letter, but it was probably the sweetest gesture anyone’s done for you.

   “I see  _ someone’s _ not working.”

   You practically leaped out of your skin when you heard someone talking to you. Head snapping upward, a blue-haired girl offered you a cheeky smile. Her name was Aqua. She was a senior at your school and happened to be a teaching assistant for your Calculus class. While she was one of the cooler TAs, she could be strict when necessary. After all, Calculus wasn’t exactly an easy class.

   “A-Aqua!” you stammered, surprised. “I’m so sorry. I’ll get back to working right away—!”

   Aqua interrupted you with a light laugh. “Chill, [Name],” she insisted. “I saw you staring off into space and thought your brain might’ve exploded from today’s work. But I can see that’s clearly not the case.” She nodded to the letters spread out across your desk. “So, what are these?”

   You went on to explain that you found these letters in your locker right before class, and you hadn’t noticed them until now. “A secret admirer, huh? That’s so cute!” gushed Aqua once you were done explaining yourself. “I wish Terra did something like that before we started dating, but I’m clearly the romantic one in the relationship.”

   You smiled at the comment. Terra and Aqua had been dating for the past few years, and they might as well have been the school’s most popular couple.

   Aqua pulled up a chair and sat next to you. “So any idea on who the lucky guy is? Or girl! I don’t judge!” She winked at you.

   You shook your head, the suggestion going right over your head. “No clue,” you admitted. “I can’t even recognize the handwriting. And the weirdest part is that I’ve apparently talked to this person, but my memory sucks ass!"

   Aqua hummed. “Let me see. Maybe I can recognize the handwriting? I tutor lots of people, you know.” She took one of the letters, reading it over. Her eyes widened. “No way. Him!?”

   You inched forward in your seat. “Huh!? You recognize the handwriting!?” you exclaimed. “Who is it?”

   Nodding, Aqua explained, “Mhm. I tutor him in Chemistry. It’s—” Aqua hesitated, her smile growing. “Actually… I don’t think I’ll tell you.”

   You felt yourself physically deflate. “Aw, c’mon! Seriously?” you whined.

   Aqua shrugged. “Sorry, hon,” she apologized lightly. “It’s just bro code. I’ll let him know you found the letters though.” You pouted as Aqua ruffled your hair and rose to her feet. “Get back to work, kiddo.”

   With that, you were left to think about these letters for the rest of the day.

 

[-]

 

   “How long has it been since they last blinked?”

   “You’re an idiot. [Name] blinks like a normal person.”

   “It doesn’t look like it. [Name]’s been staring off into space for the past six minutes!”

   “What, are you timing them or something?”

   “No, I just happened to notice that—”

   You glanced back at your friends, who had been very loudly talking about you as you all sat together for lunch. “Guys?” you interrupted. “I’m not deaf.”

   “I wish I was,” deadpanned Roxas. Laughter erupted from you and your friends as you all sat together for lunch.

   “Aw, don’t be that way, Roxie,” Hayner taunted from beside his best friend. He wrapped his arm over Roxas’s shoulders. “You love us!”

   Roxas peered back at the blond, his eyes empty. “I love  _ some _ of you,” he corrected.

   You shook your head at the two. “Those guys are idiots,” you mumbled to the person sitting beside you, which happened to be Ventus. You usually sat with the same people every day, which included Roxas, Hayner, Ventus, Sora, Kairi, Riku, Selfie, and Naminé.

   “You don’t have to tell me twice,” mused Ven, causing you to smile. You’d always liked Ven, even if you could’ve sworn he was avoiding you half the time. You weren’t sure why Ven didn’t like you. Or, maybe he did and you were just reading him wrong. Whatever it was, you had always wished you were closer to him.

   “Anyways,” Kairi began, clearing her throat rather loudly, “I heard—”

   “You  _ always _ hear something,” interrupted Naminé. “Who’s the one telling you all the gossip anyway?”

   Kairi paused, actually thinking it over. She turned to Selfie. “Well, I heard it from Selfie," she admitted.

   "And _I_ heard it from Tifa, who heard it from Aqua that [Name] has a secret admirer!” Selfie announced. Your cheeks burned scarlet as all heads turned to you.

   “No way,” began Sora. “ _ [Name] _ has a secret admirer!?”

   You narrowed your eyes at him. You picked up your french fry and tossed it at his face while Namine hit Sora’s head. “Sora!” hissed Namine. “Don’t be rude!”

   “Huh?” Sora’s eyes suddenly widened. “No! I didn’t mean it like that! It’s just… I thought [Name] didn’t date people!”

   You shrugged. “ I’m just married to school!” you informed your friends.

   “If you asked me, it’s about time,” admitted Riku.

   “Agreed!” Hayner added. “It’s about time we found [Name] a bae.”

   Everyone audibly groaned at his comment. “Dude, that’s  _ so _ outdated,” Roxas mentioned, causing Hayner to shrug.

   You ignored your friends and decided to continue. “Someone’s been leaving letters in my locker for the past month,” you explained.

   Naminé snorted. “And you  _ just _ now saw them?”

   “Hey, what happened to not being rude?” you returned teasingly. Namine just held her hands up in defense.

   With that, everyone around you started to gossip about your secret admirer and who it could be. Names were thrown into the air, but honestly, all you could think about was  _ why _ rather than  _ who _ .

   You turned to Ven, who had become rather quiet throughout the whole exchange until he said, “What’s wrong, [Name]?”

   You perked up. “Oh, nothing!” you insisted. “I’m just… confused, I think. I mean… why me?”

   Ven scoffed. “Isn’t it obvious?” You weren’t sure what he meant by that, which elicited a puzzled expression to appear on your face. Ven’s cheeks became tinted with a blush as he explained, “W-Well, you’re just really cool and nice a-and funny, you know? Like, I don’t see why someone  _ wouldn’t _ like you. You’re really likable.”

   You paused as his words absorbed in your head. Then, a smile cracked your face. “Thanks, Ven,” you said. “You’re really sweet.”  You didn’t know it then, but your words sent the butterflies in Ven’s stomach into a frenzy.

   After school, you had been so eager to head home that you hadn't realized that you forgot some of your homework in your locker. You usually walked home with Roxas, Pence, Olette, and Hayner, but you wanted some time to think by yourself. So, you decided to send the group on their way while you headed back to your messy locker to retrieve your things. Maybe while you were there, you could actually clean out your locker in the process. The letters from your secret admirer had, strangely enough, invoked inspiration within you and you were suddenly in the mood to fully Feng Shui your locker.

  However, you were taken aback by the fact that someone was standing in front of your locker, just moments away from slipping something into it. And that someone was...

  "Ven?" you called, just a few feet away from him.  The quiet blond froze, his muscles tensing in an instant. You furrowed your eyebrows together as you walked toward him. "Ven, is that you?"

  Ven looked like he was about to pass out. He turned to you and forced a smile. "Hheeeyyy, [Name]! What are you doing here?"

  You narrowed your eyes at him. "I left some stuff in my locker and I came back to get it," you explained. You watched curiously as he tried to hide something behind his back. "Whatcha got there, Ven?"

  "...Nothing?"

  "You don't sound so sure of yourself."

  "Well..."

  "Well?"

  Ven just sighed. He revealed the object in his hands, bringing it around from behind him. It was a single, folded up piece of paper that had your name on it. You weren't an idiot. You knew what _that_ was. Your gaze softened.

  "...Ven, is that—?"

  "Yeah," he interrupted. "Uh... I was gonna leave this for you, but... um... I..."

   You offered him a small smile. "Can I read it?" you softly asked.

  Ven's eyes lit up. He had been so obviously worried that you would be repulsed and run away from him. But now that you knew it was Ven who had been sticking notes in your locker, you were the opposite of that. If anything, your heart was beating faster than ever before. "R...Really?" stammered Ven. You nodded. He hesitated. "Could I read it to you i-instead?"

  You smiled shyly at the boy you'd always particularly admired. You two were never close, but somehow, you had snagged Ven's heart. How was  _that_ possible?

  Ven nervously unfolded the note with shaky hands. You took a step forward and held onto his hands to stable them. His cheeks burned with fire as he read the note aloud, "[Name], today you finally r-realized that I've been leaving letters in your locker. I can't believe you were surprised that someone would do something like this for you. You're... You're, um..." Ven pressed his lips into a line. "You're really special. I hope you're not disappointed that I've been the one writing these letters, but I figured telling you who I am would make you feel better. I... I like you a lot, but I understand if you don't feel the same. Sincerely, your secret admirer, Ven."

  Ven didn't meet your gaze as you stared at him. Your smile grew more and more until it physically pained you. You pulled your hands away from his and instead, extended your arms around him. You pulled him in for a hug, practically high off of dopamine. "You're sweet, Ven," you mumbled into his neck. You stepped back from the hug and tilted your head to the side. "But you like _me_? I-I mean, I thought you hated me until lunch today."

  Ven's eyes grew so wide that they might as well have popped out of his head. His head snapped upward from the letter, shocked. "Seriously!?" he cried out. "I could never hate you, [Name]! You're, like, the coolest person I know!"

  You rubbed the back of your head sheepishly. "I guess I'm bad at noticing my surroundings," you confessed. The two of you nervously laughed. "Tell you what? Let me take you out! Just the two of us."

  Ven looked surprised by your words. Honestly, he was astonished that you hadn't gone running off laughing by now. "Wh—For real? You wanna go out with me?"

  You shrugged. "I've always wanted to get to know you better," you insisted. You nudged him. "So, is it a date?"

  Ven paused. "Shouldn't  _I_ be the one asking you out?"

  You waved a hand. "Nah, it's my treat!" you promised. "I'll give you more time to think of a better first date, but until then, let's get some food, okay?"

  Ven was in awe by you. You were easily a mess half the time, yet somehow, Ven had made you feel at peace with yourself. You weren't sure what that meant, but you decided to take it as a good sign. Besides, Ven was a total cutie, right? You thought so.

  As you took Ven's hand and dragged him off, you figured your homework could wait for now. For once, you'd do something good for yourself, and luckily for you, Ven would quickly become the best thing to ever happen to you.


	10. Oblivion [Sora]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whatever it was, Sora made you feel like a real person.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fem!Reader x Sora! KH3!
> 
> this chapter was inspired by how many times i've (by "i", i mean sora and all the other playable characters) died while playing the many kingdom hearts games. for me, at least, sora's died many times. i always wondered if they'd make that a point/a joke in the game franchise, but they never did. so i decided to put my own twist on sora's deaths during my (and i'm assuming many others') gameplay, and came up with this! i hope it makes sense and i hope you enjoy!
> 
> WARNING! this drabble is EXTREMELY long!!!!

 

 **10\. Oblivion** [Sora]

 

  Throughout our lives, we are constantly learning. Whether it's the name of the colors or the most complex mathematical equations, we spend as much time as we can expanding our minds, hearts, and spirits. We learn as much as we can every day, and it isn't until we reach certain milestones in our lives when we compose questions that we cannot find the answers to. One of these timeless questions is something many have thought about once or twice in their lifetime. It's daunting to think about, harrowing even. Why would one's mind wander so far into oblivion, an empty place where uncertainty exists? Why would we ask something without a definite answer? That ageless question is simply:  _What happens to us when we die?_

  We all know about the different worlds that co-exist in our strange universe—worlds that are home to talking animals and magic. But there is one world that is unique from the others, different. It's a world that cannot be reached via portal or aircraft. It's called the Final World. You liked to describe it as the edge of reality just before a heart ceased to exist. It's nestled closely to the Station of Awakening and the realm of sleep (well,  _apparently_ , that was the case. You'd never been there, so you couldn't attest to it). The Final World can only be accessed when you die or experience near-death. It's essentially a place of purgatory, a place of passing. No one sticks around, other than a few faded remnants of hearts, usually of people with attachments so strong that they cannot pass on.

  Now, this is the part where one would probably ask: How does a heart get to pass on? Why is it that some hearts remain dead while others get another chance at life? What decides one's fate? Well, that's where you came in.

  You've lived in the Final World your entire existence. You didn't come about the Final World like the others. You've never died, and you were pretty sure that you'd need a real, functioning heart and loved ones in order to have strong enough ties to keep you stuck here. No, the Final World was your home from the very beginning. Your first memories were waking up here in this realm where the sky meets the sea. Upon these first memories, you were given a simple fate. Your fate was to decide the fates of others.

  You couldn't lie: you were intrigued at first. You, of all the billions walking the many worlds, were gifted with the important task of deciding the fates of others. Your job sounded simple in theory: When someone dies and their heart arrives at the Final World, you got to decide what happened to them. Do they return to life or do they die? Of course, you'd spend some time reading through their memories via their heart, but once you got a grasp on who the person was in their life, you decided their fate. The decision of choosing whether people can continue to live or die was all up to you.

  Now, you weren't a cruel person. You always wanted to let people live, to have a second chance. But just because you're nice doesn't mean life is. Life is a bitch and, unfortunately, you were just its puppet.

  After a few years of living in the Final World, you grew guilt-ridden over what you were doing. You were just a kid, technically. What right did you, a teenaged girl, have to decide whether or not someone should live? You asked that question a lot, but at the end of the day, it's not like anyone could hear you. Yes, as anyone could expect, life in the Final World was barren. In the beginning, you had been under the impression that the hearts that were stuck in this realm with you could be your friends; however, after their fates were decided, they could no longer hear you. It was like you were a ghost to them, which was ironic because they were the ones that were dead—not you. Well, you were pretty sure you weren't dead. Otherwise, you wouldn't be stuck here.

  You lived in the Final World for thousands of years. You were often lonely. You had tried to befriend the people you were banishing to life or death, but something about it felt inhumane to you. Besides, it's not like you would be able to hang out with them or something like that. No, instead, you lived in this realm doing one thing every second of every day. It was exhausting, lonesome, and honestly, oftentimes too depressing to handle. But you coped and accepted your fate as it was given to you from the moment you were born.

  That was until you noticed someone passing through the Final World. He was a boy—a kind-spirited hero who shined with light from the core of his heart to the tips of his fingers. You'd seen heroes before, but no one like him. Regardless of that, his light wasn't why he stood out. The reason he stood out to you was because you had decided this boy's fate before. His name was Sora, and he had died more times than any other person in history, yet he still managed to return to life without fail every single time!

  Most of the time, you'd let people approach you and then you'd decide whether they'd continue living or remain dead. Kinda like a receptionist for the dead. It wasn't uncommon for people to return to the Final World more than once, but their deaths were usually a little simpler: illness, car accident, etc. Sora's causes of death were a little more... peculiar than the others though.

  The first time you met Sora, he had died after sacrificing his life for his best friend, Kairi. You had decided to let him live due to his bravery and loyalty, but the only way you could bring him back was by turning him into a Heartless. The second time you encountered Sora wasn't much longer later. This time, he had lost all of his memories and in the process of retrieving them, he died. You decided to let him live again, but his memories would return at a slower rate because of his death. Hey, you did what you could where you could, even if returning to life often handicapped someone. You always tried to make that handicap temporary, but there were some things that were even beyond your power.

  It wasn't until the third time Sora died when you actually noticed him and his worrying causes of death. This time, he had died in the midst of fighting Hades alongside his friends. You remembered how he walked up to you, bouncing on the balls of his feet. He was a year older than the first two times you saw him, now at the strong age of 15-years-old. There was a big smile on his face, cerulean eyes filled with warmth while his arms were tucked behind his head. Then, he said, "Hiya! I think I've been here before!"

  That was what had caught you off-guard. See, never in your existence had you encountered someone who remembered coming to the Final World. Usually, their memories were too foggy and the adrenaline from the experience made everything blur together. Hearing that he recognized the Final World shocked you. "You... You remember coming here before?" you had repeated. _Impossible_.

  Sora nodded like it was the most obvious thing in the worlds. "Uh-huh, but parts of it are kinda fuzzy. So... if we've met before, I'm sorry, but I don't remember your name!" he insisted. "But I'm pretty sure we've met before. Like, 99% sure!"

  Well, the fuzziness of his memories made sense. Still, you continued to stare at him in shock. You'd seen a lot of people like him pass through the Final World, each with strange lives of their own. Again, it wasn't totally uncommon to pass through more than once, but they never remember the experience or anything about the Final World. And on top of that, they certainly  _never_ remembered  _you_. Until now, at least.

  "I'm Sora!" he introduced, pointing at his chest proudly. He flashed you a big grin; the kind that could make anyone fall in love with him. "What's your name?"

  "I'm sorry," you immediately replied, still in denial of what you were hearing. You scoffed. "You... You recognize me? Are you sure?"

  Sora tilted his head to the side. "Yeah, why wouldn't I? I swear, I've been here before." He looked around at the Final World, his face gleaming in awe.

  You took a moment to remind yourself of what you knew about this boy, which was essentially everything. You knew he was one of those fancy Keyblade Wielders. You'd seen quite a few of them pass through in your time, especially during the Golden Age of the Keyblade War. You had been able to pick up the first time you met him that Sora was special, but you didn't realize he was  _this_ unique.

   Straightening your posture, you decided to go into your usual routine. "Right. Well, this place is called the Final World. It's a world between the living and the dead, a place people go to when they die," you explained. "Do you remember how you died, Sora?"

  Sora waved his hand dismissively. "Oh, you don't have to tell me all that. I'm starting to remember it now. It's coming back to me, sorta. I've been here, like, a billion times now." He eventually shifted his gaze from the ethereal world to your face. "I died in battle. I guess I should stop depending on Donald for cure spells, right?" He laughed at his joke, but you remained silent. You were still in shock. "So, if you're here with me, does that mean you're dead, too?"

  You scoffed at his nonchalant attitude. "Not exactly. Whenever someone dies, their hearts come here and make a case for me. I get to decide their fate based on their life and how they died. But usually, fates are already written. I just have to reinforce them," you replied. "Hey, how are you so calm right now? Are you used to dying now, or something?"

  Sora shook his head. "Nah, that's not it! Death is creepy, but..." He placed his hand over his chest. "If I listen to my heart, it'll tell me what I wanna know. Right now, my heart's telling me I'll be okay. I still have lots to do, like finding my friend, Riku! Oh, and defeating Organization XIII, but the major goal is finding Riku. My heart's also telling me that I'll find him, so I'm not  _too_ worried. But I hope he's okay."

  You had heard of Organization XIII before. A lot of the people who had stopped by the Final World had been victims of terrorism by uncontrollable Nobodies. You didn't like Nobodies very much. They often bypassed true death by returning to life as a Dusk or a proper member of the Organization. They were cheaters in your book.

  You nodded slowly, listening to Sora's heart as he spoke. "Uh-huh. Well, lucky for you, your heart's telling me the same thing," you insisted. "It looks like your journey's not over yet, so I'll have to send you back to the land of the living." You watched as he cheered optimistically. It brought a small smile to your face. You'd always enjoyed making people happy. It often made up for the sadness you'd witness when they found out they'd remain dead.

  "Man, thank you! Thank you... uh..." He paused, frowning. "I'm sorry, I don't remember your name."

  You shrugged. "That's because I never told you."

  Sora didn't seem too happy to hear that. "Well, how am I supposed to thank you? We're friends now, aren't we?"

  You eyed him suspiciously. Friends? Didn't he realize that you could never leave this place? "What makes you think we're friends?" you questioned. "You don't even know me. And besides, I don't really do... friends. I can't leave this place, so I don't see the point in trying anymore."

  But Sora still seemed insistent that you were his friend now. "Well, strangers don't exactly resuscitate other strangers three times in a row," he retorted. "I think we can definitely call each other friends now."

  His response got a little laugh out of you, causing him to smile once more. He was awfully charming and likable, yet ditzy to an extent. You couldn't let him go feeling dejected about your friendship, despite knowing that he'd hopefully forget all about you when he returned to life. "Alright," you finally replied, "how about this? If you somehow end up coming back here again—because something's telling me you will—and you happen to recognize me again, I'll tell you my name. Oh, and be careful with Hades, okay? He's an idiot, but his powers are stronger than mine. If you die in the Underworld, it'll be harder for you to return to the living again."

  Sora beamed at your little compromise. He offered you a salute and a promise that he'd remember you before you sent him on his way. Of course, you weren't expecting him to actually come back. Dying more than 3 times seemed excessive to you, especially when you take into account that his deaths aren't like the average person's. You wondered how his deaths looked to others. Surely, everyone thought that Sora was just unconscious. Oh, they really had no idea the wonders of the universe.

  Although Sora left the Final World once more, he never escaped your thoughts. You often swore out loud whenever you realized you were thinking about him again. How could you not? He was the first person in history to actually  _remember_ you. Was it possible that maybe you could exist outside of the Final World? After all, you only ever knew this world and your existence here. But if you resided in his memories in the real world, then maybe you could escape this place and become a real, normal person. Was that crazy to think about?

  Oh, who were you kidding? Of course, it was. You existed here, by yourself. You had one job, and you did it spectacularly. Sure, it was lonely, but you didn't exactly trust anyone else with the job. Still, you wished you could have friends. Even the Greek Gods, like Hades and Zeus, didn't know who you are, and you were almost as powerful as them!

  You continued to wander the Final World, stumbling upon those passing through whenever they arrived. Sometimes, you found yourself wondering if they'd remember you after they returned to life. But if that were the case, you'd know. When you exist in enough people's memories, you become real to some extent, even if it's as a stupid Nobody. But you'd have to be alive to become a Nobody.  You were just... Well, you weren't a spirit or a ghost or a deity. You weren't a God or a creature. You were just... you. That was all you'd ever be, and you'd just have to be okay with that.

  And you were. You were fine with your existence and your fate that's been chosen for you. Honestly, part of you wished you never spoke with Sora. He was the only reason you found yourself questioning everything about all that you knew. It drove you mad, but what was the point in that? You just had to suppress these feelings of confusion. Sora didn't matter to you. He was just another human you were envious of. Besides, it's not like you'll ever see Sora again, excluding his final death—

  "Hey!"

   _What the fuck?_ Almost as if on cue, a teenaged boy with spiky brown hair approached you. He waved his arm in the air, smiling and surprisingly laughing. You rolled your eyes. Sora had actually died again. You wondered how he died _this_ time. You also wondered if he remembered you and this world, but you were starting to doubt that. No one did.

  "I had a feeling I'd see you again!" Sora continued.  _Alright, never mind. Sora remembered you._

  Wait. Sora... remembered you? Holy shit. _Sora remembered you._

  Finally, Sora stood before you with a smile. He had gotten noticeably taller and buffer since you last saw him. He even looked more mature, but only a little bit. Not much time had passed since he last came to this world, according to his heart. You didn't have any way of telling the time in this world. You only had an idea of what the world looked like and the concept of time through the hearts of others. It was annoying, but you couldn't do anything about it. After all, why would things like time and human development matter to you? That wasn't part of your job description.

  "Well, I'm back!" Sora declared. "And I remember you! Crystal clear." You blinked in surprise, eyes big and wide. Well, this wasn't what you had been expecting. "So, what's your name?"

  He was right. You had promised him your name. You were just surprised that he was back. "Man, you seriously have a death wish," you commented, earning a laugh from Sora.

  "Come on," whined Sora. "I've been waiting to see you again! You gotta tell me your name. It's so much easier than... I dunno... Girl Grim Reaper."

  You snorted. "I'm nothing like the Grim Reaper," you replied. "And... I didn't tell you my name because... I don't have one." You rubbed the back of your head sheepishly.

  Sora's eyes grew wide, his jaw falling open. "Huh!? But everyone has a name!"

  You shook your head. "Not me. I was born here alone, damned to live in oblivion. The only thing I know for certain is my job of deciding the fates of hearts. Having a name would humanize me, which would be cool, except I'm definitely not human. I'm just... me," you elaborated. The words that came out of your mouth were so bitter, so sad, yet you said them like you were talking about the weather.

  Sora didn't seem to like the sound of that. He crossed his arms, tapping his chin with his index finger as he thought to himself. Part of you wanted to just listen to his heart and let him go on his path, but you were intrigued by what he had to say next. Was it because he was the first person in history to remember you? Probably. "Well, how about we give you a name! Having a name is, like, the only important rule to existing," Sora stated. "What about...? Hm..."

  "Sora, I—"

  "What about Liv?" Sora interrupted. His eyes sparkled with excitement. It was so clear that this was something that was important to him. You wondered why he cared so much. Compassion was rooted in his being, and it showed. "It's short for Oblivion, like you said earlier. I think it's cool!"

  You paused. "... _Oblivion_." The name sounded foreign to you. Of course, you'd spoken that word before, but never to refer to yourself. Still, if it made Sora happy, then you'd just let him have his way before you sent him away again. You sighed. "Alright. Liv, it is."

  You and Sora ended up talking for a while longer before you sent him back to his own world. But the weird part about it was that you felt sad when he had to leave you again. However, what was even weirder than  _that_ was the fact that Sora kept coming back. He came back more times than you could keep track of, and every time he returned to the Final World, he held stronger memories of you than before. Every time he stopped by, he was happy to see you. You wouldn't lie—you were a little cold toward him in the beginning. It's not your fault! You were just being cautious. After all, having a friend in this world seemed too good to be true. Your conversations were shortlived, but you both cherished them.

  "Aren't you worried about how often you die?"

  "Nah, my heart's my guiding key! It always tells me that things will be okay!"

  "I think you just need therapy or something, dude."

  Your friendship with Sora blossomed rather quickly. The more he visited you in the Final World, the more your bond strengthened. You hated to say it, but sometimes you wished he'd just die again so that you could see him again. Was that morbid? Probably, but it wasn't your fault you didn't have any friends! All you had were the spirits that left you in their dust... and Sora. Your conversations with Sora grew into ones that lasted hours at a time before you would realize that Sora was supposed to be alive until his journey was completed. That was what usually reminded you that you two could never be true friends. That didn't stop Sora, though. No, you became someone that Sora treasured for whatever reason. That wasn't even the worst part. The worst part was that over time, you eventually developed a little crush on Sora.

  "Wow, Liv! New haircut? You look great!"

  "Sora, I haven't changed once in my entire existence."

  "Haha, I know, but I thought I'd at least try to make you smile!"

  Sora was just so... likable and charming and sweet. He was respectful, brave, loyal to the people he cared about (which was practically everyone that walked with light instead of darkness). He was everything a girl could possibly ask for... even you. Of course, having romantic feelings for someone wouldn't end well for you. How would that even work? You weren't sure. For now, being Sora's friend was enough for you. In a way, Sora had redefined life for you, and you hadn't even realized it.

  Sora asked you a lot of questions about your life: how you ended up here, what you did all day, etc. Your answers were always short, concise. You didn't know how to ended up here and all you did was direct hearts. Of course, Sora's response to this was, _"Oh, so this is like an airport for hearts?"_

  You liked being around Sora whenever he visited you. His presence made you smile. You didn't know if that was because you had developed a little crush on him or if it was his light. Whatever it was, Sora made you feel like a real person. Albeit temporary, it was a nice feeling.

  Sora had been visiting the Final World yet again when he said something that stuck with you. It had been another year in the real world, making him about 16-years-old. He was back because in the midst of his Mark of Mastery exam, he nearly fell under the control of someone called Master Xehanort. You recognized the name, and you didn't like the feeling it gave you for whatever reason. You always enjoyed listening to Sora's stories about his missions and adventures. It was nice hearing about the world you were banished from living in. Nonetheless, Sora had been in the midst of discussing his mission with you when he said it:

  "You know what, Liv? I'm gonna get you out of here one day."

  You didn't know how to reply to that. You'd dreamed of leaving the Final World once or twice, even if it was all you had. You sighed. "Sora, you know I can't leave the Final World," you reminded him. "I think the universe would implode if that happened, honestly."

  Sora's lips became heavy with a pout. "But it's not fair that you're stuck here!" You bit your tongue, not sure of what to say. It's not like you had a choice. "Don't you wanna see the worlds through your own eyes instead of stories?" He shook his head. "No, I'm gonna make sure you get out of here, Liv. I promise."

  You smiled at the boy. "Thanks, Sora, but I think you've got more important things to worry about. By the way, it's [Name]."

  Sora snapped his head back toward you. "Huh? Who's [Name]?" he wondered.

  You shrugged. "I think it's my name. It came to me recently," you explained with a smile.

  Sora's smile matched yours. "I like it," he decided. "C'mon, [Name], don't you see? This is the universe's way of telling you that you should find a way outta here!" You looked away from him. It was always discouraging to think about leaving this world, especially when you knew it wasn't possible. "You deserve to live a real life, you know?" He paused. "Hey, tell you what? I promise that I'm gonna get you outta here  _and_ I promise that I'll show you all the worlds in the realm."

  You rolled your eyes. "Geez, Sor, that's kind of a big promise. Can I change it?" you requested. "Can you promise to stop dying so much, huh?" Sora burst out with laughter. "I'm serious! One day, you're gonna die and won't be able to come back! You know how bad I'd feel, especially now that we're friends?"

  Sora stopped laughing. Instead, he smirked at you and nudged you. "I  _knew_ we were friends! See, you even gave me a nickname!"

 _Smack!_ You hit his arm. "Obviously, we're friends, Sora!"

  "I know, but I just wanted you to say it out loud, [Name]!"

  Still, you couldn't help but ponder a few things. That was all you did, really. _Think_. You were alone with your thoughts, give or take a few heart interactions in between. The first thing you were confused about was your name. Why had it suddenly come to you? What did it mean? Did it mean anything? After all, no one just suddenly remembers their name after being alive for thousands of years, despite being in a 16-year-old's body.

  After sending Sora off, you had begun to feel... out of sorts. You'd never felt this way before. It was like your body was changing without you telling it to. You weren't sure what the changes were until something happened. The remnants of hearts that resided in the Final World could  _see you_. Usually, they just floated around aimlessly, chatting to one another and wandering throughout this plane of existence. But one day, they randomly gained the ability to see you, to hear you, to  _speak_ to you. You had never experienced anything like this before in your life. You even made a few friends, one of whom being a small creature named Chirithy.

  You wondered what had happened to you that had changed you out of nowhere. Honestly, all of this started happening after you started befriended Sora. Did this have something to do with him? You weren't one to point fingers, but you had a feeling that he was. This random human boy (whom you had totally caught feelings for over the past year) had changed your life so much to the point that your entire being seemed to have...  _evolved_. Was that even possible? You wished you could ask someone, but you had no one to ask. Even the heart remnants had no clue.

  And just when you thought things couldn't get weirder, they did. You had been doing your job, sending hearts on their ways as they approached you, when something strange happened in the Final World. The Final World was suddenly filled with a bright white light. It was so blinding that you thought you'd completely lost your vision when you looked directly into the light. However, it wasn't until you looked into the light head-on when you noticed that the Final World wasn't being mobbed with light. The issue was that the Final World had been suddenly greeted with a few  _special_ visitors. The famous Seven Lights were at your doorstep, waiting for you to greet them.

  You approached the Lights, squinting until you stood before them. Their light was warm, welcoming. It worried you seeing so many Keyblade Wielders before you. You knew their names, not because of your gift of knowing everything about someone once they die, but because they were friends of Sora's: Riku, Kairi, Axel, Ventus, Aqua, Terra, Mickey, Donald, and Goofy. The group had all arrived together, which seemed to be enough of an indicator that something was wrong.

  The group was all quietly bickering, confused and afraid as to what had happened. You merely approached them with worry in your eyes. "What are all of you doing here?" you greeted them. "I mean, believe me, I know, but..." You flinched, listening as all of their hearts screamed at you in terror of what they just witnessed. Demon Tide. Keyblade Graveyard. It wasn't pretty. All of them had died.

  "Who are you?" one of them asked. She had blue hair and stood tall despite the pain in her heart. This was Master Aqua. You had seen her in the Final World once before. "Where are we?" She raised her hand, attempting to summon her Keyblade.

  You shook your head. "You don't need that here," you insisted. "This is the Final World. This is a place people go when they die."

  "The Final World..." trailed off King Mickey. "Master Yen Sid told me about this place once, but I never knew it was real. There are rumors about the one who guards this plane of existence." He suddenly perked up, turning to you and asking, "Is there someone we can speak to so that we can leave this place? There's trouble brewing in the worlds, and we're the only ones who can stop it before it's too late!"

  You raised your hands calmly. "I know, I know. Your hearts are all telling me the same thing," you promised. "There's no one you can speak to other than me. I guess you could say I'm... the Guardian of the Final World? I've never really called myself that, but that's the best way I can describe myself." You looked around the group, taking each person in. "I've met a few of you before, but I doubt you recall it. Most people don't remember this place."

  Riku stepped forward. "Sora did. That's how we know what this place is," he revealed. "He told us about you and the Final World every time he came back from this place. He said that if we all had memories of you in our hearts, you'd become a real person."

  You smiled at the sentiment. You had no idea Sora was fighting so intently to help you become real. "Right. Well, I'm afraid all of you died fighting against a Demon Tide in the Keyblade Graveyard. But don't worry. I hear your hearts loud and clear, and I think I can bring you back... to an extent," you revealed.

  "An extent!?" repeated Kairi.

  "What's that supposed to mean!?" worriedly asked Ven.

  "Is that a bad thing?" chimed in Terra. "I just got my body back!"

  Lea marched forward, only to be pushed back by Donald and Goofy. "C'mon, Guardian, can't you bring us back normally!?" the fiery redhead wondered.

  You hesitated. "There are some things that are beyond my powers. When forces as powerful as all of you die, it's incredibly difficult to bring you back. I can bring you back, but someone else has to pull your spirits to the other side. Think of it as purgatory," you explained.

  The others looked around. "Sora," realized Riku. "Sora's gotta be the one to bring us back."

  Kairi frowned. "But he was with us. Doesn't that mean he died, too?" she wondered.

  You nodded. "Exactly. Since he's been here countless times, sometimes it can take his heart longer to appear. The more times you die, the harder it is to bring someone back. Sora's died more times than anyone I've ever met, and I've existed for a very, very long time," you explained. "Alright, well, let me see what I can do. When Sora arrives, I'll be sure to give him his mission to bring all of you back."

  Riku nodded. "Thank you, [Name]," he gratefully said. The others each mumbled a similar response. "Maybe Sora's right. Maybe one day you can come to the worlds as a real person."

  You just smiled at him. "This is my job, Riku. You have your jobs to protect the worlds from the 13 Darknesses, I have mine," you insisted. "Well, farewell. Be patient. Please remember that your hearts are what will lead Sora to you. Be strong, be brave. Let the light protect you, and you should be okay."

  With that, the many Lights slowly flickered out, one by one. You did everything you could to ensure that they would reform once Sora (or someone else, really) found them. The conflict on the worlds worried you deeply. You had listened to their hearts long enough to figure out what had brought them to the Final World. Master Xehanort was finally going to forge the X-Blade, thus bringing forth Kingdom Hearts and wiping out all of the light in the universe. You believed in the Lights and their ability to stop him, but you were worried that something would go wrong while you waited for Sora to arrive in the Final World.

  As if on cue, Sora's voice calling your name in the distance rang in your ears like a sweet song. But when you turned around to see him, you gasped so loudly that even Sora grew fearful by your reaction. You walked forward, observing his appearance. "I have never seen anything like this before," you whispered, mostly to yourself.

  Sora was almost completely transparent. You could somewhat make out his shape and his features, but he looked like he was made out of water or something like that. It was like he was partially in the Final World and partially passing onto the other side. This worried you. Something was wrong.

  "There you are!" Sora exclaimed. He raised his hands in front of his face. "We have a little bit of a problem here. Is this normal, [Name]?"

  You faltered. "U-Uh..." You didn't want to worry him, but considering you were extremely concerned as to why Sora's body was broken up into fragments. "Not exactly. It seems like your heart has broken up your essence into fragments. Sorta like those heart fragments I told you about a while ago. But if I'm correct, I believe those fragments are somewhere around here. I think you might've overdone it this time, Sor."

  Sora tilted his head to the side. "What's that supposed to mean?" he questioned.

  You hesitated, unsure of how to explain it to him. After all, the rules regarding the Final World — the very plane of existence that resided between life and death — were perplexing and took you a few years to fully understand when you first started out guiding hearts. "Dying is very traumatizing for a heart. For some people, they only get one life and one death. For others, like you and your friends, you've had multiple chances to return to the land of the living because of your heart's fate and the light that's been guiding you. But every time you die, your heart grows a little weaker. It strays just a little bit farther from the Final World, and one day, if you die enough times, you won't even get a chance to visit the Final World. Instead, you'll pass on completely without a chance for me to bring you back. Sometimes, if you go enough time in between deaths, your heart can heal itself, so that you have a lesser chance of that happening. But... you've died so many times... Your heart seems to be growing weaker because of it."

  Sora looked worried. "But... you can bring me back, right?"

  You nodded. "I-I can, but not until you find your body's fragments," you promised. "But, Sora, there's something else that happened. Your friends, they were here. I was able to save their hearts, but you're the only one that can bring them back completely." You hesitated. "Sora, I'm worried about you—"

  "I can save them? I can save my friends?" he interrupted.

  "Yes, but Sora, you need to be careful with your heart. If you keep dying at this rate, I'm worried I won't be able to help you next time," you reported.

  But Sora didn't seem to care. He was prepared to risk his life for everyone else's, and he didn't care about what he had to do to help them. He was so selfless that it inspired you. You helped him locate his body's fragments and opened a door to send him to the others. This was the best you could do to help him and his friends.

  "Thank you, [Name]," Sora said, his body now fully restored. He looked down at you, standing just a few inches taller than you. He placed his hand on your shoulder. "For everything. I'm gonna try my best to save everyone, and then, I'm gonna save you. I pinky promise." He held up his free hand, his pinky stuck upward.

  You tilted your head to the side. "Pinky... promise?" you repeated. "What's that?"

  Sora's eyebrows shot upward. "You... You don't know what a pinky promise is?" he queried. You shook your head. "Well, it's easy. Here, give me your pinky." He motioned for you to make the same hand gesture as him. Then, Sora took your pinkies and locked them together. "There. Now, we have a pinky promise. It's, like, the most sacred thing friends can do for each other. When you make a pinky promise, you can  _never_ break it."

  You reached out and hit the back of his head. "You idiot! Why would you make me pinky promise you something that can never happen!" you cried out.

  Sora just flashed you one of his award-winning smiles. "Awe, don't worry, [Name]. My heart's telling me that anything's possible when I just try. You never know," he mentioned. "My friends are through this door?"

  "Mhm," you hummed. "But... before you go..." You offered him a smile and gently placed a kiss upon his cheek. His face lit up with a shade of bright pink as you added, "F-For good luck. Be careful out there. Protect your heart, so that I don't have to save you next time, yeah?"

  Sora's smile grew. "Then, who's gonna save  _you_ if you're too busy saving me?" he teased, causing your smile to grow. "Don't worry, [Name]. I promise, I'll be the one to save you next time. I kinda owe it to ya after dying 43 times."

  Your eyes widened. Even you hadn't kept track of how many times he'd died. "You kept count of all the times you died?"

  Sora rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Well, not exactly. I started keeping track of how often I got to see ya," he explained. He shyly smiled at you. "I like seeing you."

  If you had an actual, functioning heart, it would've skipped a beat. "I like seeing you, too, dummy," you replied, "but you need to go out there and save the others. I'll be rooting for you from here. Whenever you're feeling weak or you feel like you can't go on, just remember that I'm here supporting you with everything in me."

  Sora didn't say a word. Instead, he grabbed you and he gave you the tightest hug you'd ever experienced in your life. You'd never actually been given a hug before, but this... this was nice. You pulled your arms around Sora, listening as his heart spoke to you. He was worried. He had taken your words into consideration, and now that he was processing the seriousness of his situation, Sora had to save his friends and the universe before it was too late. But knowing that he had your support made him feel stronger. You made him feel stronger.

  Then, Sora was gone.

  And you were left to wait. The next few hours were gruesome to wait through. You chatted with Chirithy and a few of the heart remnants, but they could all sense your stress. You wished you knew what was going on down there. You could only really figure out events _after_ they happened - once people died and you were able to listen to their hearts. You believed in Sora, but you still worried about his friends. You hoped they would be okay.

  When you eventually began to relax again, your name was being called by a familiar voice.  _Sora_. You whipped your head around in search of him, spotting him as he ran toward you. He looked frantic, stressed, furious. Something had happened, but his heart was speaking too quickly for you to process.

  "Sora!?" you greeted. "What the hell are you doing back here so soon—?"

  "Kairi," interrupted Sora. "It's Kairi. I need to find her. I need to save her. Xehanort, he... he..." You nodded, listening to his heart. It seemed that Xehanort had killed Kairi, and now, Sora was searching for her. You just weren't sure why he was _here_ of all places. "I used the Power of Waking to bring everyone back. I think I can do it again. To find Kairi. She's my best friend, [Name]. Please, you gotta help me out here."

  You faltered. "I—"

  A gasp left you as your body began to feel strange. It was a warmth that flooded your entire being. You'd never felt anything like it. Whatever it was, it was enough for Sora to sense, too. His cerulean eyes widened. "[Name]? What... What's happening to you!?" Sora looked you up and down worriedly. "You're...?"

  You looked down at your hands, seeing that they were transparent. "Fading," you finished for Sora. Your eyes grew in size. "I'm  _fading!?"_ God, the universe really had the worst timing. "No, no, no. This has never happened to me before. Sora, what's going on!? Did you do something!?"

  "I-No!" denied Sora. "I didn't do anything. I used the Power of Waking to find you, so that you could help me find Kairi."

  You stared at your hands. Well, you stared at the space where your hands used to be. The atmosphere was swallowing your limbs slowly. You were fading away, and you only had so much time to help Sora on his quest to find his best friend. You looked up at Sora, seeing your reflection in his eyes. You two shared a similar fear. But, now wasn't the time to be afraid. You needed to help Sora before you faded forever.

  "Listen to me carefully, Sora. I don't know how much time I have left before I fade completely," you instructed. "I think I know how you can find Kairi. I was afraid that you'd end up doing this at some point, but it might be the only way you can save her." You were trying to stay composed, but you were honestly freaking out. Sora grabbed your shoulders, trying to assure you that you were still there with him. You had time. You could still help him. Swallowing the knot in your throat, you continued, "Listen, the Power of Waking was only supposed to be used to awaken sleeping hearts, not resurrect them completely. It's considered taboo in nature. I'm the only one that's supposed to be allowed to resurrect hearts. Do you understand what I'm trying to say?"

  Sora nodded slowly. "Sorta."

  "It means that what you did was like... breaking the law of the universe," you clarified. "Every time you used the Power of Waking to bring your friends back after they died from the Demon Tide, your heart grew more susceptible to the Power of Waking. That means that if you use it to save Kairi... if you use it to resurrect Kairi's lost heart, you... you could die. You've abused the Power of Waking too much, and you'll pay the ultimate price. Are you prepared to do that, Sora?"

  You hoped that he would say no, but you knew him better.

  "I am," he confidently revealed. Still, there was something that was troubling him. "But what about you, [Name]!? What's happening to you?"

  You looked down at your figure. You were fading more and more as the seconds ticked by. "I don't know. This has never happened before," you confessed. "Sora, if you still need guidance, talk to the heart remnants around here. They don't know as much as me, but they know enough about the universe to guide you. Find Chirithy, find the remnants. They can help you—"

  "But what about you!?" cried out Sora. "I'll use the Power of Waking on you, too! Will that help you!?"

  You shook your head. "Sora, that's not how it works," you argued. "This is... different. I don't know how, but it is."

  Sora tried to grab onto you, but there wasn't much of you left. "Hey, maybe it's okay!" Sora insisted, trying to remain optimistic as usual. "Maybe you're going to the real world!"

  The idea of that frightened you tremendously. "Sora, I can't leave!" you opposed. "What will happen to you? The hearts, Chirithy? Who's going to guide the hearts? Who's going to protect this realm?"

  "Maybe that's not your job anymore, [Name]," suggested Sora. "I don't know what it is, but I believe in you, just like you believe in me." He offered her a big smile. "If you end up in the real world, find my friends. Find Riku. Find someone and tell them you helped me out here. They'll know who you are, just trust me."

  You frowned. "How can you be so optimistic right now?" you mumbled.

  Sora shrugged. "I'm not sure," he admitted, causing you to laugh. Leave it to Sora to actually make you laugh during a time like this. "If you end up in the real world, find my friends. Find Riku. Find someone and tell them you helped me out and that I owe you a favor. They'll help you. Just trust me, okay?"

  You nodded slowly. "Okay, Sora. I'm trusting you," you insisted. "We're gonna okay, right?"

  "We're gonna be okay," Sora repeated, making you feel better just a little bit. "C'mon, where's that famous [Name] smile?"

  Snorting, you smiled at him. "I hope I end up in the real world," you admitted. "I'll see you soon?"

  Sora nodded. "See you soon, [Name]. That's a promise!" Your smiles grew until you felt the world around you shift.

  With that, you faded completely out of the Final World, not knowing that that would be the last time you saw Sora.

  The world was dark, empty. There was nothing in existence, nothing to keep you company aside from your own thoughts. Every once in a while, a jolt of warm light shot through your entire being that reminded you that you were still... _you_. You were feeling so many different emotions that you were almost terrifyingly calm. It was like you knew you didn't need to worry, but you weren't sure why you felt this way.

  Memories shot through your mind as you roamed throughout the darkness. They were memories of your time in the Final World and memories of your time  _before_ the Final World. You had never even considered the fact that you actually had a life before the Final World because it sounded utterly mundane to you; however, somehow, someway, you did. You were a Keyblade Wielder from the earliest days of the universe. You weren't an original Keyblade Bearer, but you were certainly apart of the first groups of Keyblade Wielders. You had died sacrificing yourself against a fleet of uncontrollable darkness at 16-years-old.

  When you died, your heart arrived at the Final World just as all hearts did. At this point in time, no one was in charge of guiding hearts aside from the Fates that lived upon Mount Olympus with the Greek Gods, like Zeus and Poseidon. The fates had decided that instead of sending you back, you were fit to guide hearts in the Final World. You, of all people, were to replace the famous Fates of the universe. You had essentially cheated the system and were given the opportunity to live in the Final World. The only catch was that you lost all of your memories of your time before you arrived at the Final World. You had died and you remained in the Final World, your body healing itself throughout the years until someone or some kind of force brought you back. It was strange to wrap your head around, but you eventually understood it after repeating your story to yourself for the umpteenth time.

  You eventually used this information to discover and understand what was happening to you. After all of these years, your body was finally reformed and you were being brought back to life. You weren't sure what triggered it, but somehow, you just knew it had something to do with Sora. Sora was the catalyst that had changed your life in the first place - of course, he would have something to do with your resurrection.

  When you finally awakened, you were in extreme pain. Your joints were stiff and your muscles felt like someone had lit them on fire. Peeling open your eyes for the first time in hundreds of years burned your irises. You had awakened in a strange room with fluorescent lights shining down on you. Your body laid on a metal frame, which creaked as you slowly sat up. Once you were able to adjust to the light, you finally noticed several faces staring at you. The people around you tried to speak to you, but there was a painful ringing in your ears. Geez, how long had you been dead for? You placed your hands over your ears, wincing until it stopped. Then, finally, when your body finished adjusting to being alive again, you felt fear run through every vein in your body.

  "I don't know who the hell you guys are, but I just came back from the dead, and let me tell you, it sucks," you hissed. Your throat was unbelievably dry, but that didn't stop you from threatening the people before you. "I do _not_ plan on going back there for a  _very_ , very long time. So if you're trying to kill me, that's not gonna work out for either of us!"

  One of the men before you shook his head frantically. "We don't want to kill you!" he insisted, his blue hair moving with him. "My name is Ienzo. This is Aeleus. Do you know what happened to you?"

  You felt a strange wave of deja vu hit you as he spoke. Still, you nodded. "Yeah, I do. How'd I end up  _here_ though? Where are we?" you demanded. Though, you wouldn't lie. You recognized these guys. You had met a few of their victims when they were members of the Organization.

  "Your body appeared on Destiny Islands about a year ago, just after everyone returned from the Keyblade Graveyard," explained Ienzo. "You were knocked unconscious, so an acquaintance of ours brought you here. We've been checking your vitals and watching your health since then."

  "Right." You paused, remembering your greatest concern. "Is... Is Sora here? He told me to find Riku and his friends."

  Aeleus spoke up and replied, "Riku's the one who brought you here. The others said they recognized you from the Final World. They said you were the Guardian of the Final World. Is that true?"

  You hummed. "Mhm. I'll answer all of your questions, but... where's Sora? Did he save Kairi?"

  Your attention snapped to the door behind Ienzo and Aeleus as it creaked open. A familiar face stared at you: Riku. His green eyes landed on you, surprise crossing his face. "She's awake?" Riku queried.

  "Uh-huh," you replied. "So, is anyone gonna tell me what happened to Sora?"

  There was silence. Riku frowned, unsure of what to say next. That was how you knew something was wrong. Eventually, the rest of the story was explained to you. Sora was able to save Kairi and bring her back to life by using the Power of Waking. He helped the others return home, even somehow resurrecting a few remnants from the Final World, such as, well, _you_.

  Yes, Sora had recklessly used the Power of Waking one last time on you. Honestly, you weren't sure if Sora had been trying to save you or just a few remnants from the Final World, such as Chirithy, who had also returned to life. You were convinced Sora was the reason you were standing here today. Unfortunately, using the Power of Waking caused Sora to fade out of existence.

  Riku and the others were doing everything they could to find Sora. They were all convinced he was still out there - they just had to find him. Everyone had been hoping that you would be the key to finding Sora, but when you were in a comatose state, there was only so much they could do aside from waiting. For example, Kairi sent herself into a deep sleep in hopes that Ienzo and Aeleus could find Sora through their heart's tie. Nonetheless, it had been a full year and still, there was no update... until today when you finally awakened from your slumber.

  You were heartbroken to hear about what happened to Sora, but something in you knew that he was out there somewhere. You weren't sure if Sora's optimism had rubbed off on you, or if it was because your heart had a special connection with Sora's now. Wherever he was, his heart was calling out to you and Riku and the others.

  You couldn't believe that Sora had pulled off his reckless mission. He had paid the ultimate price all for his friends, all for the sake of the universe, all for someone he hardly knew. You were alive for the first time in years and Sora was... Was he dead? You didn't  _think_ he was. You weren't confident, but you knew he had to be out there somewhere, right? You wouldn't—No, you  _couldn't_ live knowing that maybe there was a way you could find him. After all, you knew his and everyone's hearts better than anyone else. You, Riku, and the others would do whatever it would take to find him, and that was a promise.

  After all, Sora had pinky-promised you that he'd save you, and he succeeded. Plus, you had saved him countless times before by sending his heart back to the land of the living from the Final World.

  It was your job to make sure Sora came back home. Just because you weren't in the Final World anymore, didn't mean that your work was over. No, this promise was one that you'd make sure to keep. You knew Sora's heart well and you knew his story wasn't done yet.

  You would save Sora from oblivion. No matter what.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this ends after kh3/kh3 remind i'm sorry this is SUPER long, but i really liked this concept and i've been waiting to properly write this until i finished remind, which was the day after it dropped (i just never got around to writing this hehe). but yeah, anyways, thank you for reading, and let me know what you think! <3


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